North Carolina police officers fired for 'hate-filled' speech

Three police officers in Wilmington, NC have been relieved of their duties after they were heard using "hate-filled speech" and referring "to black people as the N-word," said Police Chief Donny Williams on Wednesday.

The officers have been identified as Officer James Gilmore, Corporal Jesse Moore II, and Officer Kevin Piner. The officers were found to be criticizing other black officers within their department.

According to CTV News, Officer Piner said he was "ready" for a civil war and spoke about "slaughtering" black people, referring to them by the N-word.

"I can't wait," he said. "God, I can't wait."

Each of the officers were veterans within the department, having been brought on in the late 1990s, according to employment records.

Williams said in a statement that the Wilmington officers' words were "brutally offensive and deserved immediate action."

"This is the most exceptional and difficult case I have encountered in my career," Williams said. "We must establish new reforms for policing here at home and throughout this country."

Williams has recommended that none of the three officers be eligible for rehire in Wilmington. He went on to say that he would notify the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission to determine whether or not the officers would be able to continue practicing law enforcement within the state.

Williams also said that he would consult with the district attorney's office to see if there were any crimes committed by the three officers, including bias toward any offenders.

The police department is requesting the courts decide whether part of all of the video should be released.

The video was discovered on June 4 during a video review. The footage was captured by Piner's in-vehicle dashboard camera, and was deemed an "accidental activation."

Around 45 minutes into the nearly two-hour video, Piner can be heard talking with Gilmore, who pulled up alongside Piner's vehicle.

The two officers went on to talk about the Black Lives Matter protests, and Piner stated that the department's only concern is "kneeling down with the Black folks." Gilmore can also be heard describing a video he saw about White people "
bowing down on their knees and 'worshipping Blacks,'" according to a report.

"How many times have I told you it's almost like they think they're their own god?" Gilmore said.

Piner can be heard later answering a phone call from Moore, who shared with Piner an incident with a woman he arrested the day before, referring to her by the n-word.

More can be heard saying that "she needed a bullet in her head right then and move on. Let's move the body out of the way and keep going."

Piner said he believed that a civil war was coming, adding that he planned to purchase a new assault rifle. He went on to say that he felt martial law would be declared, saying "we are just gonna go out and start slaughtering them f***ing [N-words]. I can't wait."

Moore said he would not do that, but Piner added that it was necessary to "wipe 'em off the f***ing map."

"That'll put 'em back about four or five generations," Piner said. Moore responded by saying "you're crazy."

According to the internal investigation report, Moore and Piner also criticized the department's response to the protests happening in Wilmington. Moore said the police chief "dropped the f***ing ball," adding that there were "too many times that all he cares about is the f***ing community."