An NYPD message board lit up with racist comments after the shooting of an unarmed black man in South Carolina
Thee Rant, an online community forum for New York City police officers, allows users to post anonymously as long as they have signed up for membership with a valid NYPD ID.
"The perpetrator was wanted for non support and stole the cops lazer and ran like a typical ni**aaa," user DisGraziato wrote yesterday. "Aren't police allowed to shoot a fleeing felon?? Eight shots in the back. A good shoot if you ask me.."
The 'perpetrator' that the user is referring to is 50-year-old Walter Scott, who was shot to death on Sunday by a South Carolina police officer after being pulled over for a broken brake light. He had been arrested before for failing to pay back child support.
"Who cares," wrote user otjkid. "One less azzbole that comes through the drive through on foot."
"Was there a local Duty Savage, or did Sharpton himself fly down to size this up?" wrote HUD.
Other commenters were more critical of the officer.
"Can't side with guy on this one," wrote user MY TWO SENSE. "That was about as ugly as it gets."
"He shot an unarmed guy in the back, who was 50ft+ distant and running away," wrote TrueBlue. "What was the cop thinking?"
This is not the first time the message board has been defaced with racist comments by NYPD officers, according to Newsweek. After a man opened fire in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY during the city's West Indian Day Parade last September, NYPD officers took to Thee Rant to vent about West Indian and African-American "savages."
"The savages have won," user OldSchoolCop wrote. "Protect yourselves, your families, other LE and their families."
"The mere interaction with those people involved and the complete lack of respect for each other made me realize how much of a sheet culture the West Indies really are," wrote user MY TWO SENSE. "These people...assault, rape, pillage, you name it."
The officer who shot Scott, Michael Slager, told the media through his attorney that after a tussle, Scott took the officer's Taser. Slager said he then shot Scott because he felt threatened, The Post and Courier reported.
A video has surfaced, however, that contridicts Slager's claims: in the video, Slager is seen shooting a fleeing Scott (who is apparently unarmed) five times, hitting him in the back, ear, and butt. At least one bullet also reportedly entered his heart, and it is believed that Scott died at the scene.
Plenty of other Thee Rant commenters seemed disgusted by the racially charged posts left by their fellow officers.
"I really have a hard time believing that some of the people on this board are cops," wrote user woodshampu. "The level of ignorance, stupidity, and arrogance is breathtaking.
That many of you seem to find room to be apologist for the officer in this incident causes me to stand in bewilderment that more cops are not in handcuffs."