Racist texts reveal police talked about hurting and killing Black suspects: LA Times

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- New racist texts revealed that police officers in Southern California's city of Torrance talked about hurting and killing Black suspects, said an investigative report published by the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

The day after Torrance police shot 23-year-old Christopher DeAndre Mitchell in 2018, his mother and a dozen of his loved ones staged a protest outside the Torrance police department's headquarters. At the same time, a group of officers - including the two who had killed Mitchell - were discussing the situation via text message, reported the biggest newspaper on U.S. West Coast.

"Was going to tell you all those [N-word] family members are all pissed off in front of the station," one wrote, according to court documents recently reviewed by the newspaper.

Court records showed the officers later mused about what might happen once the identities of those who shot Mitchell became public, said the report.

"Gun cleaning Party at my house when they release my name?" one asked. "Yes absolutely let's all just post in your yard with lawn chairs in a [firing] squad," another replied, the report revealed.

Eight months ago, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed portions of racist and homophobic text messages exchanged by at least a dozen Torrance police officers, a scandal that sparked an investigation by the California attorney general's office, the report added.

Criminal cases in which the officers were involved continue to be dismissed, and at least one man has been released from prison. Lawsuits filed against officers involved have already cost Torrance more than 10 million U.S. dollars. Still, most of the officers implicated remain employed by the city, according to the report.

On Dec. 9, 2018, Mitchell, who was found inside a stolen car, was shot and killed by the Torrance Police Department in a Ralph's grocery store parking lot in Torrance, according to a review from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.