Ore. Police Chief Who Allegedly Compared African Americans to Monkeys Resigns

An Oregon police chief who was placed on administrative leave amid a racial controversy has resigned. He had reportedly made racist remarks on learning that a black woman threatened to file a discrimination lawsuit. Suggested Reading Mother Allegedly Bashes Her 6-Year-Old Daughter’s Head in with Hammer, But How She Involves Her Son is Truly Chilling…

An Oregon police chief who was placed on administrative leave amid a racial controversy has resigned. He had reportedly made racist remarks on learning that a black woman threatened to file a discrimination lawsuit.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Dominique Thorne Reveals Why She Almost Passed on <em>Ironheart</em>
Dominique Thorne Reveals Why She Almost Passed on <em>Ironheart</em>

According to KOIN 6, Clatskanie Police Chief Marvin Hoover had been on administrative leave since August after Officer Dustin Alex Stone, a member of the Police Department in the small northern Oregon town, alleged that Hoover began imitating a monkey during a debriefing regarding a complaint from a black woman. ย 

Stone said that while he was reporting to the police chief that the woman was threatening to file a discrimination lawsuit, the chief reportedly began acting like a monkey and making monkey noises.

โ€œI relayed several of the arresteeโ€™s remarks such as, โ€˜When you look at me, my black and my nappy hair, all you see is animal,โ€™โ€ Stone wrote in his official report to the Oregon Department of Public Safety. โ€œChief Hoover interrupted me and said, โ€˜Thatโ€™s what she is.โ€™โ€

Stoneโ€™s report continued: โ€œChief Hoover then began to act like a monkey. Chief Hoover placed his hands in his armpits and began scratching them. Chief Hoover also started making loud monkey sounds: โ€˜Hooo โ€ฆ hooo โ€ฆ hooo โ€ฆ hahahaha โ€ฆ hooo โ€ฆ haaah.โ€™ While Chief Hoover was scratching and chanting, he started to move around the room, in a dance or jumping fashion. While jumping and moving about the room Chief Hoover momentarily beat his chest like Tarzan.โ€

Stone also claimed in his report that the chief broke into the Confederate song โ€œDixieโ€ and began acting as if he were punching and choking someone.

โ€œAs Chief Hoover was comparing African-Americans to monkeys, I began to become extremely uncomfortable,โ€ Stone said in his report. โ€œI have never been in a work environment where a manager, especially an executive officer, is openly racist.โ€

Stone told the news station that he and has wife have been harassed since he filed the report.

โ€œIโ€™ve already faced a lot of retaliation. My wifeโ€™s been forced off the road twice,โ€ he told KOIN 6. โ€œIโ€™ve had people in the community yelling the n-word at me.โ€

After word of Hooverโ€™s resignation became public, Clatskanie Mayor Diane Pohl wrote a letter to the editor in the local newspaper The Chief calling the embroiled police chief โ€œan honorable man.โ€

โ€œI consider Chief Hoover an honorable man and officer,โ€ Pohl wrote. โ€œAnd so I say, thanks Chief Hoover for a job well done. You have this communityโ€™s gratitude, gratefulness and appreciation.โ€

Read more at KOIN 6.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.