A South Carolina policeman is in hot water after a racially charged exchange with a man outside a bar was caught on video this past weekend. Sgt. Chad Walker has been suspended by the Columbia Police Department after he was captured on video using a racial slur, according to a statement issued by the department.
Walker and several other officers went to Bar None, a neighborhood bar in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday night. While there, they noticed that the governor’s executive order to halt the service of alcohol was not being followed.
According to the department, a man at the bar called Walker the N-word and an exchange occurred during which Walker used the slur multiple times.
“Afterwards, as Walker and patrons were outside, there was a heated exchange between them, including Walker’s repeated use of a racial slur,” the department said. “The entire incident was captured on Walker’s body-worn camera and citizens’ cell phone video.”
The civilian allegedly used the slur after officers told him he could not drink his alcoholic beverage.
After Walker says the man “called me a n-gger,” people standing nearby responded to his use of the explicit word.
“Are you serious?” one person says.
“Can you stop saying that word please?” asks another.
The man who allegedly called the officer the slur is seen denying it multiple times in the video, while Walker continues to claim that he said it.
“‘Cause all you’re doing is calling me ignorant,” Walker says. “That’s what that word means.” As others in the restaurant continue to challenge him, Walker says: “If I was called that I can say it back.”
As bystanders express their disapproval, Walker says, “Oh, I can’t? He can say it to me, but I can’t say it to him?”
“No!” someone says, sounding shocked.
“You’re white!” a man adds.
As witnesses continue to tell him he cannot use the word and ask him to “lead by example,’ Walker responds saying he believes he is leading by example.
Walker continues to justify his use of the word until he finally begins to walk away from the scene with another officer.
The department has since apologized for the incident, calling Walker’s actions “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful.”
Chief Skip Holbrook released a statement saying: “Our officers are trained to serve as leaders and to deescalate confrontations of potentially volatile situations. Although I am embarrassed and disappointed in the Sergeant’s actions, I was encouraged to see a junior officer intervene and remove Walker from the situation, potentially stopping further escalation.”
On Sunday afternoon protesters gathered outside of the department, expressing their concern about the officer’s actions. “While we understand that this officer did not direct the slur at any one civilian, we are still deeply concerned by his attitude towards this racially charged and hateful language,” wrote the organizing group One Common Cause to the department.
Walker has since been suspended from the department pending a disciplinary conduct review.
