Police officer relieved of duty after repeatedly saying N-word on video

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:04]I Oh my god, I felt like I was back in the Marine.

[00:00:07]Like I I like I kid you not. I don't know what came over me. I grabbed him by the neck and I was like, "Come here, you Oh my god, like I felt like the world just stopped. Like it was just peace.

[00:00:20]Like I I like I don't know. And then he was just like Like even I in my head I was like, "Damn, I messed up cuz I called him a dog. Like imagine how many downtown James were there. They could have beat him up. So, there are allegations this police officer used the N-word and had a racist type rant. She was relieved of duty but not fired as police investigate. I suppose, especially in the days of AI, they probably want to confirm the authenticity, etc. And confirm that's actually one of their officers and not some random person who has a similar name. Now, I'm absolutely against this type of language. Let me say that before I give a legal analysis, which is not me approving of this, but just saying what the law is here. I don't like the ideas that are alleged to be said here. Usually, it seems like this type of speech in this context would be fully protected by the First Amendment. And I'm talking about the context of making this kind of video.

[00:01:11]There's other considerations if you're using this type of language on the streets, like fighting words, for example, that has very specific legal meanings and I won't get into that tangent. However, it gets more complicated because she is a public employee. So, the question is, can the police department take disciplinary and other action against her for this speech? Generally, when speech by a government employee is at issue, courts will look to see if they were speaking as a citizen on a matter of public concern or if they are speaking pursuant to their official duties, which can usually mean they are not protected from employer discipline. To determine this, courts will look to factors like whether the speech itself is normally within the scope of an employee's duties and doesn't merely concern those duties. And if it is the employee speaking as a citizen on a matter of public concern, it gets balanced against the interest of the state employer needing effective and efficient management. So, generally, if they are speaking as a private citizen about a matter of public concern and the speech does not interfere with their job, then the speech is probably protected. So, let's apply these general principles to this case. Looks like this type of speech here would hinder the ability for a police officer to properly interact with citizens and function properly, etc. It looks like maybe she was referencing different situations, including maybe a suspect she had arrested. Not sure if she used bad language while on the job on duty or if she was just talking about the person after the fact, solely while off duty.

[00:02:35]Seems like it might be the latter. But regardless, this language is still very troubling. So, overall, for the reasons I've stated and for other reasons, it looks like this type of speech could probably result in discipline from the police department without running afoul of First Amendment jurisprudence. I understand people make mistakes and/or they can change over time.

[00:02:54]Notwithstanding, if the allegations here about what she said hold true, I don't think we want someone like this as a police officer, either now or in the future. I am probably one of the biggest free speech absolutists and I think the Supreme Court has perverted free speech in this country. But in cases like this, it is sort of the government limiting the speech of the government in a sense.

[00:03:14]If the government is going to steal our money in the form of taxes and give it to people who have the ability to use legal force and violence against us and deprive us of liberty, then I think we should be able to be very selective of who we allow to do that job, which includes looking at their speech. That said, I'm always open to change my mind, so let me know your thoughts on this in the comments. I will defend the free speech rights of people that I like and don't like, of ideas I love and ideas I despise. In this case, it is a government employee talking about things that raise questions about job duties and performance. I think that changes the free speech analysis, but let me know if you do, too.