MARIETTA, Ga. – A police lieutenant in Georgia who was recorded on video during a traffic stop saying "we only shoot black people" has been reassigned to administrative duty.
Dashcam video from July 2016 shows a car stopped on the side of a road and a woman can be heard telling Cobb County police Lt. Greg Abbott she was scared to move her hands in order to get her cellphone, WSB-TV reported . Abbott, who also is white, interrupts her and says, "But you're not black. Remember, we only shoot black people. Yeah. We only shoot black people, right?"
Abbott, who has been an officer in Cobb County for more than 20 years, will remain on administrative duty pending an investigation, the chief said.
"No matter what the context, statements like these are unacceptable and are not indicative of the type of culture we are trying to facilitate here in the police department, as well as within the county," police Chief Mike Register said in an emailed statement.
Abbott's attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement that Abbott is cooperating with the investigation, and his comments were meant to "de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger."
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
