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White NYPD Sergeant Accused Of Calling Black Officer Racial Slur
By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 12, 2011
Modified Oct 12, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 12, 2011
Modified Oct 12, 2011
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According to the Daily News, a white NYPD sergeant in Brooklyn is being investigated for allegedly using a racial slur against a black officer. Sgt. Sean McLaine, of the ever-troubled 79th Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant, has been accused of calling Officer Roberto Stokes "boy" several times. Stokes's lawyer, Norman Siegel, said the incident was indicative of a culture of racism within the NYPD: "In the year 2011, somebody calling an African-American officer a boy is simply unacceptable. This incident is part of a larger problem of race with that precinct."
Stokes, who filed a complaint against McLaine two weeks ago, said McLaine was trying to get him to take prisoners to Central Booking when McLaine "told Stokes, 'Be a good boy - okay, boy?'" Stokes responded, "You can't talk to me that way." McLaine's lawyer Andrew Quinn argued that race had nothing to do with the incident—McLaine had been admonishing Stokes for using his name in a police report he had nothing to do with: "Why do you have to treat me like a child?" Stokes asked during the argument, according to Quinn. "The sergeant then said, 'Well then be a good little boy and do your prisoner transport.'"
Since then, McLaine has been bounced to the NYPD's Viper unit, which monitors surveillance cameras at city housing projects. Opinions were decidedly harsh over at the message board for current and retired police officers, Thee Rant, where several people admonished Stokes for treating "every mono-syllable word as an 'offense' against someone." OntheDL wrote:
I hope the rest of the job is watching this one. These rookie scumbags from the PJ's are looking to jam you up for anything. I hope all the new bosses get the message. Rock these scumbags on their evals, drop paper with little catch phrases like "does not respond well to authority", "does now work well with others", "often requires additional supervision". I've been called white boy, east cupcake, and a few others by other cops and bosses. Walk it off you little scumbag.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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