Residents of Shelby Co. town call for assistant police chief to be fired over alleged racist text message

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - WARNING: A text message included in the story below contains racist language.

Some neighbors in Vincent want the town to fire its assistant police chief, accusing him of sending a racist text message to other officers on the police force.

A large group of angry residents in Vincent showing up to a city council meeting Tuesday.

Vincent is a town in Shelby County that sits near the intersection of Hwy. 280 and Hwy. 231.

Residents packed into the town’s small council chamber, upset over a racist joke sent via text message.

They, and the Shelby County NAACP, believe this text was sent by the town’s assistant police chief to other officers.

Residents of Shelby Co. town call for assistant police chief to be fired over alleged racist... — Residents of Shelby Co. town call for assistant police chief to be fired over alleged racist text message(WBRC)

“Other citizens in this town, are not comfortable with this person coming to their home, or even stopping them on the side of the road,” said Reverend Kenneth Dukes, “Why would our taxes pay money for this gentleman to sit in that seat of authority?”

Dukes is the President of Shelby County’s NAACP chapter and is the Third Vice-President for the Alabama NAACP.

“You cut me, I’m going to bleed red, not green, not blue, not yellow, it’s going to be red, so he’s a very ignorant individual,” said a resident who only wanted to be identified by her first name of Tina.

Vincent’s Council and Mayor promised an investigation into the text along with an update at the next council meeting, currently set for August 16.

Mayor James D. Latimer did not allow public comment during the meeting.

“I don’t want to this to turn into a madhouse, and that’s why I chose to restrict public comment tonight,” said Latimer.

WBRC called Vincent Town Hall seeking a comment on this story before tonight’s meeting and left a message for the mayor and police chief, we’re still waiting to hear back.

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