A white Mississippi police officer lost his job after telling a Hispanic man to “go back to Mexico” while responding to a domestic disturbance.
June 6, 2024, 6:12 pm Eastern Time
• 3 minutes of reading
RICHLAND, Miss. – A white Mississippi police officer lost his job after telling a Hispanic man to “go back to Mexico” while the officer was responding to a disturbance at a home.
The officer resigned after being “relieved of duty” for using “derogatory slurs,” Richland Police Chief Adrian Ready said in a statement Wednesday.
“This type of language is not only unacceptable, but it also undermines the trust and respect we work hard to build within our community,” Ready said.
The officer, Jeremy Rast, responded to a domestic disturbance call Sunday with other officers in Richland, a suburb of Jackson. Rast told WLBT-TV that officers exchanged words with a group of men across the street.
WLBT reported that it had obtained a video that one of the men, Luis Rodriguez, made of Rast talking to him.
“For example, why don’t you go back to Mexico or something?” Rast said in the video. “Like, whatever. I don’t mind. Just get out of Richland for me, please. … I don’t like you guys being here.”
Rodriguez responded that he didn’t like officers being on his property. Rast responded that Rodriguez cannot legally own property, adding, “you are illegal.”
Rast also told Rodríguez: “I’m going to look for you every shift to try to arrest you.”
Rodriguez and Rast told WLBT they had met before.
Rodriguez said he is a native of Honduras and graduated from Richland High School. Rodriguez said that because of the statements made by Rast, he is preparing to move out of Mississippi. He said he worries about being attacked by other law enforcement officers.
“Even though he was fired, there may still be more police officers who think of us the way he does,” Rodriguez said.
Rast told WLBT that he spoke harshly because of his frustration with Rodriguez.
“I made some comments that were inappropriate and unprofessional, I take full responsibility for that,” Rast said. “I’m not proud of what I said.”
Rast also said he wants to pursue a law enforcement career.
Richland is in Rankin County, where five former sheriff’s department deputies and a former Richland police officer pleaded guilty to breaking into a home without a warrant and torturing two black men in an hour-long attack that included beatings, repeated use of stun guns and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth. Those six former officers, some of whom called themselves Goon Squad, were sentenced on federal charges in March and state charges in April.
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