He's Out: White Police Commissioner Who Called Obama N-Word and Defended It Resigns
Robert Copeland, the defiant police commissioner of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, who refused to apologize for calling President Barack Obama a "f**king n***er" because he thinks he meets and exceeds the definition of the racial slur, has resigned.
According to The Washington Post, Wolfeboro officials confirmed on Monday that the 82-year-old who was heard publicly demeaning Obama with the racial epithet had tendered his resignation late Sunday night.
His resignation came as outrage grew nationally over his comments and a number of prominent New Hampshire politicians, including former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who called for him to resign and apologize.
"The vile epithet used and confirmed by the commissioner has no place in our community," said Romney, who owns a summer home in the small lakeside town according to the Boston Herald. "He should apologize and resign."
"Commissioner Copeland's reprehensible comments dishonor law enforcement officials across our state who work hard to ensure that all citizens are treated fairly, and the remarks do not represent the values of New Hampshire residents," noted William Hinkle, a spokesman for New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan. "Governor Hassan believes that he should listen to the people of Wolfeboro and New Hampshire, and apologize and step down in order to restore confidence in the commission."
Jane O'Toole, who has been living in Wolfeboro for the last four months, said she overheard Copeland use the slur to refer to Obama at a public restaurant and complained about it in a letter to the town manager in March.
"I was in a restaurant in downtown Wolfeboro, a gentleman asked Mr. Copeland if he watched the TV show Chronicle and he said, 'no, I don't watch TV because every time because every time I turn it on, all I have to see is that f**king n***er,'" said O'Toole recalling the incident.
Copeland, however, acknowledged and stood by his comments about Obama in a defiant email.
"I believe I did use the 'N' word in reference to the current occupant of the White House," Copeland wrote in an email to his fellow police commissioners, part of which was forwarded to O'Toole. "For this, I do not apologize — he meets and exceeds my criteria for such."
