A veteran police officer in the US state of Georgia was caught on camera during a traffic stop last year saying officers “only kill black people,” bringing the issue of US police brutality in the limelight again.
Cobb County police lieutenant Greg Abbott, a 27-year veteran of the police department, will be fired, Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register said at a news conference Thursday.
Abbott is currently on administrative duties, Register said.
The video of the incident, which took place in July 2016, was first reported on Wednesday by CNN affiliate WSB-TV in response to an open records request.
“The statements were inexcusable and inappropriate,” Register told reporters. “I don’t know what’s in [Abbott’s] heart, but I certainly know what came out of his mouth.”
Abbott’s lawyer, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement that his client’s comments “must be observed in their entirety to understand their context.” He said Abott was attempting to…