‘All N****s Must Hang’: California Cop Who Spewed Racist Hate in Group Chat Finally Loses His Badge After Years of Protection
A California police officer accused of sending racist, homophobic texts that came to light in 2015 and embroiled his department in scandal will no longer be able to serve as a cop in the Golden State. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) permanently revoked the peace officer certification of former San Francisco police officer Michael Celis. Celis was one of several of his police officers from the San Francisco Police Department who exchanged numerous messages containing racist sentiments and slurs aimed at Black, Hispanic, and gay people. Former San Franciso Sgt. Ian Furminger (Photo: YouTube screenshot/ Ian Furminger) A federal fraud and conspiracy investigation into former police sergeant Ian Furminger yielded the discovery of thousands of texts that Furminger traded with other cops. The group chat included multiple officers and civilians who belittled minority groups. ‘Bad Apples’: Two Rogue Louisiana Cops Fired After Beating Black Men and Throwing a Teen Girl to the Ground in 24 Hours of Pure Lawless Rage Several participants repeatedly used the phrase, "White power." One text read, “All n—s must (expletive) hang.” Another message read, “Do you celebrate at your school?” to which someone replied, “Yeah, we burn the cross on the field. Then we celebrate Whitemas.” In another, one person wrote, "20,000 bees are in Vacaville near school, but they are not dangerous like black people." The commission notified Celis that his certification would be revoked in late July after finding “clear and convincing evidence” that he sent “multiple unequivocally racist and homophobic text messages." The committee determined that a reasonable person would conclude that Celis would not perform his law enforcement duties fairly and impartially. Celis did not appeal the decision, which resulted in a "default revocation," with no further proceedings. After the texts were discovered, the department tried to fire the officers involved, but a judge ruled that police officials waited too long to discipline the cops after they sued the agency. An appeals court later overruled that decision, prompting the police department to restart disciplinary proceedings. Celis resigned from his position in 2018 before those proceedings began. Three of Celis’ partners, who were also tied to the scandal, surrendered their licenses, according to records from the POST Commission. Four others were deemed unfit to be police officers after being convicted of other crimes.
