Governor releases statement on State Police n-word scandal exposed by Nakamoto
BATON ROUGE- The state NAACP along with people across the nation are calling for Trooper August Mckay's termination following a WBRZ Investigative Unit report that showed state police gave him no discipline for a using a racial slur on duty.
Governor John Bel Edwards responded to the language used by the Louisiana State Trooper Friday night. The full statement can be found below.
“I am appalled that such disgusting language was used by a Louisiana State Police trooper and am extremely disappointed to know that this occurred”, said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “This type of behavior is not something that should be tolerated. It is not in keeping with their training, does a disservice to the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve our people, and undermines public confidence in law enforcement. Further, the failure by the LSP to appropriately and timely take action on this matter is also unacceptable, and I have been assured by Col. Kevin Reeves that necessary safeguards and procedures are in place to ensure it never happens again.”
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Mckay was removed from a federal task force when the slur came to light, but he has since been working undercover doing drug cases in the New Orleans area according to our sources.
"It's not about blowing his cover. What has he done undercover?" Eugene Collins with the NAACP said. "How has the way he thinks changed the way he policed?"
State police tried to conceal the letter that our sources said existed. For more than a month, we tried to get the letter where August McKay called his co-worker a "f****** n*****." Despite Colonel Kevin Reeves signing a letter of reprimand to be delivered to McKay, it was never given to him. Therefore, McKay got off scot-free.
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Corruption watchdogs said that McKay's credibility is now in question and every case that he has worked on can be scrutinized.
"The most valuable asset of anyone in law enforcement is their credibility and integrity," said Rafael Goyeneche, President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission. "Based on what State Police have documented, this trooper doesn't have any credibility or integrity. And his presence in street investigations is compromising the important work being done by law enforcement."
The NAACP said in February Governor John Bel Edwards took a strong stance against Judge Jessie Leblanc using the n-word and called for her resignation after private text messages were revealed. Now, they want to see that same passion expressed over Louisiana State Police since McKay was not disciplined.
"Our Governor took a very hard stance when Judge Leblanc used this word," Collins said. "He needs to take a similar stance in this case."
We requested an interview with LSP Monday. We have not heard back. Our invitation to have Colonel Kevin Reeves explain what happened is still open.
The NAACP issued the following statement:
"State Trooper August McKay should be forced to immediately resign for using the “N” word to describe a fellow trooper. It is deplorable to learn that Mr. McKay never received discipline for using such a vile and hateful racial slur.
A police officer while wearing a badge should always exhibit high standards of conduct so that the integrity of the badge is preserved. ?An officer should act in a manner that promotes public confidence. State Trooper August Mckay has violated his right to wear a badge and has betrayed our community’s trust.
The NAACP feels that using such language is not just inappropriate, but also unacceptable, not to mention directing such hateful rhetoric at another Trooper. The use of this racial slur ?indicates his unacceptable prejudice and racial bias against black and brown people. We will not stand for State Trooper August McKay to police our community anymore.
Mr. McKay was never disciplined for using this racial slur which shows a complete breakdown of leadership and oversight within the Louisiana State Police. It is clear that there are structural injustices within the Louisiana State Police and every single administrator who knew about this injustice should be disciplined.
Colonel Kevin Reaves, you've failed us, and we hope that you work alongside us to restore trust in the Louisiana State Police. We are calling on Governor John Bel Edwards to stand with us and act swiftly and firmly. Nothing but State Trooper August McKay’s termination will suffice.
We are formally asking the Legislative Black Caucus and every African American Elected Official in the State of Louisiana to join us in calling for Mr. McKay's immediate termination. We are asking for all elected officials to stand with us in being proactive to assure that we do not have another tragic killing at the hands of a police officer.
We are asking the District Attorney Office to review every single case where Trooper August McKay was a part of the investigation, arrest and/or conviction of a black or brown person seriously reviewed or overturned. We hope that collectively we ensure that this racist individual never wears a Badge again."