The president of a police union in Aurora, Colorado, has been suspended over an email accusing police reforms of being "racist and sexist" and seeking to "replace" white men.
The Aurora Police Department (APD) recently placed Officer Doug Wilkinson, head of the Aurora Police Association (APA), on administrative leave after he sent an email blasting the recent diversity-focused police reforms last week. The APD had entered into an agreement with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, to commit to the reforms shortly before Wilknson's email was sent to hundreds of APA members.
The reform agreement came after a Weiser investigation uncovered issues of racially discriminatory policing and excessive use of force following the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died after being placed into a chokehold by police and injected with ketamine by paramedics. In his email, Wilkinson lamented that the reforms were seeking to replace white men with minorities, according to a copy of it obtained by CBS station KCNC.
"'Diversity' isn't defined or justified by them," Wilkinson wrote in the email. "To match the 'diversity' of 'the community', we could make sure to hire 10% illegal aliens, 50% weed smokers, 10% Crackheads, and a few child molesters and murderers to round it out. You know, so we can make the department to look like the 'community'."
"The decree indicates that they want to replace as many of the department's white males as possible with as many women and minorities as possible," he added. "It's as simple as that. To do that they are going to hire and promote non-whites and non-males wherever they can... the State's plan, fully embraced by the city, is literally systematically sexist and racist."
Lieutenant Chris Amsler, executive officer to Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson, said in a statement obtained by Newsweek on Monday that multiple APD employees had made complaints about the email on November 17. Wilson quickly suspended Wilkinson pending the results of a city investigation into the email.
"Chief Wilson is very concerned about the allegations that have been brought forth by several concerned and courageous employees," Amsler said. "Due to the sensitive nature of this on-going investigation we can not discuss this case further."
"We would like to remind the media and our community that the Aurora Police Association does not speak for the Aurora Police Department nor are they the recognized bargaining unit with the City of Aurora," added Amsler.
Although the APA is one of two police unions in the Colorado city, the Fraternal Order of Police represents more officers. APA social media accounts were set to "private" as of Monday.
Newsweek reached out to APA and Weiser's office. The Attorney General's Office declined comment.
