Alexander City, Alabama - where plotting to kill a black man actually provides you with job security
WTF, Alabama? This is low—even for you.
In a brilliant report written by Jon Swaine of The Guardian, Officer Troy Middlebrooks was exposed for a plot to kill a black man whom he repeatedly called a nigger. In the recording, he goes on to say how he'd manufacture phony evidence to cover the whole thing up. Daily, I think I can no longer be shocked or floored at how ugly and racist America truly is, and then stuff like this happens.
Officer Troy Middlebrooks kept his job and continues to patrol Alexander City after authorities there paid the man $35,000 to avoid being publicly sued over the incident. Middlebrooks, a veteran of the US marines, said the man “needs a god damn bullet” and allegedly referred to him as “that nigger”, after becoming frustrated that the man was not punished more harshly over a prior run-in.
And here's what's doubly crazy...
Not only did Officer Troy Middlebrooks keep his job after being exposed in a recording of him talking about the entire plot, but the city actually paid a financial settlement out in the case.
The recording is below.
At one point Middlebrooks states:
“And before the police got here, I’d fucking put marks all over my shit and make it look like he was trying to fucking kill me. I god damn guarantee you,” Middlebrooks said. “What would it look like? Self fucking defence. Fuck that piece of shit. I’m a lot different from a lot of these other folks. I’ll fucking tell you what’s on my fucking mind.”
Listen—this warrants a statewide and federal investigation. It's absurd. Not only should this officer be fired immediately, but all of his superiors who knew this and let him keep his job also need to be fired. Furthermore, all of the cases that this racist man and department have investigated deserve a deep dive.
It increasingly appears that police departments are providing a great deal of cover for some of the worst racists in our country. It's sick and simply isn't being addressed on any respectable scale.
As the above recording reveals, racism is no respecter of policies and will go to great lengths to conceal itself.