By The Vanguard Staff
SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose police chief here told news media an officer has resigned after a probe revealed he had sent racist text messages, including one that said, “I hate Black people.”
Already under investigation for a controversial shooting at a downtown taqueria last year, now-former officer Mark McNamara, who joined the San Jose Police Department in 2017, was found to have written other “racist” texts, and made light of the shooting being investigated, said the San Jose Mercury-News.
Police Chief Anthony Mata told the news organization Friday McNamara was being investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit, which led to the revelation McNamara “had sent disgusting text messages that demonstrated racial bias.”
“I don’t stand for this. It’s disgusting and horrible that we have an officer that thinks that way,” Mata told the Mercury-News. “All this information came to light this week … I wanted to get this information out to the public so they understand that, as chief, I’m committed to rid (the force of) people and employees who act in this manner.”
The Mercury-News wrote a “dossier of text messages investigated by the department appear to show McNamara talking to two unnamed recipients — described only as one active department employee and a former department employee — and at some point, referencing the March 27, 2022 shooting of K’aun Green.”
McNamara shot and wounded Green, who is Black, after Green appeared to have quelled a fight that broke out inside the La Victoria taqueria near San Jose State University. Green disarmed one of the people in the fight, and was backing out of the front door, holding the confiscated handgun in the air, when he was shot, said the newspaper.
McNamara appears to refer to Green, in a text message later, “N—- wanted to carry a gun in the Wild West … Not on my watch,” wrote the Mercury-News.
Other messages from late June 2023, during McNamar’s interview by the City Attorney’s Office and Green’s legal team, which sued the city over the shooting, were also revealing.
“I finally had to tell this city attorney what’s what,” one text reads. “I’m like dude, I don’t give a sh*t about this case. I’m white, he’s black, he’s gonna win. AND I DONT CARE. It’s a b—- whatever they decide has no bearing on me what so ever. It’s basically kangaroo court,” the Mercury-News qy.
Another message around the same time appears, said the Mercury-News story Friday, “to disparage Green and his attorney: ‘The other day this n— lawyer is like Mr McNamara, you know we can still find you guilty of excessive force right? I’m like, hmmm yeah then (what) happens?? … Think I give a f—- what y’all n—- think?!???? I’ll shoot you too!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!’”
Adanté Pointer, whose firm Lawyers for the People is representing Green, said the shooting of his client “was driven by racial animus,” noting, “The proof is in the pudding. We don’t have to guess, we have it right here in his own words. Each and every interaction he’s had as a police officer, every ticket, every citation, every time he used force, every arrest, it all has to be reviewed.”
Pointer added, according to the Mercury-News, “He was nothing more than essentially a racist cop who was hellbent to bring his fantasies to life. Despite his expressed hatred and willingness to kill my client and my legal team, we will not be intimidated.”
McNamara resigned from the department Wednesday, and Chief Mata said the texts were sent to one former department officer and one current officer. The latter was placed on administrative leave Thursday.
Mata said the other officer’s participation in the text exchange was “not as egregious” as what McNamara wrote, but “concerning,” said the Mercury-News.
Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of the San Jose-Silicon Valley NAACP, is quoted by Mercury-News saying that the story “left him ‘shivering’” with anger, and recalling past racism controversies with the department.
“I believe this officer committed a hate crime. He seemed to be gloating over and nonchalant about” the shooting, Moore said, adding, “He should be decertified as soon as possible.”
Scandals over racist text exchanges among police officers have steadily surfaced over the past few years in the Bay Area, including the police departments in San Francisco, Antioch and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, reported the Mercury-News.
“In the Antioch case, the texts contained disparaging messages about Black people and even joked about violence against the city’s mayor, who is Black. In the sheriff’s office case, the deputy union president and the correctional officer union president were ensnared in a trove of messages containing racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic slurs, as well as images of swastikas and Ku Klux Klan members,” wrote the Mercury-News.
McNamara gained a higher public profile than the average rank-and-file officer after the shooting of Green. San Jose police officers were examining the scene of a homicide less than a block away when they were alerted to people fleeing from the restaurant and at least one mention of a gun sighting.
Security video released last year showed a man appearing to start a fight with Green, who responded by tackling him to the ground.
“Seconds later, a second man, who police identified as 30-year-old Bryan Carter, brandishes a handgun, but Green’s friend wrapped up Carter and attempted to take control of the weapon. Green then got up and helped his friend take the handgun away from Carter, with Green taking sole possession of the firearm,” according to the Mercury-News story.
Mercury-News added, “McNamara was at the front of a contingent of officers approaching the taqueria entrance. Security footage shows McNamara and other officers yelling at Green to drop the gun. Green had his back to the officers as he exited and was trying to fend off the two men trying to retake the gun, the footage shows.
“Green turned slightly toward the officers and it appeared that once he recognized them he showed his hands, but by that point McNamara fired four shots in quick succession. Green and his attorney contend that he had no opportunity to comply before he was shot.”
