The texts contained direct racist references to four men arrested in a 2021 murder conspiracy case, authorities said.
ANTIOCH — The eight Antioch policeby the city include investigators who texted each other racist remarks about Black men they were investigating for alleged gang crimes, prosecutors confirmed in open court Tuesday morning.
O’Connell showed up to court with packets of paper approximately two inches thick and apparently containing text messages in which racist and other problematic language was used by officers. He told a Contra Costa judge the messages were discovered through an ongoing FBI and Contra Costa DA investigation into eight other Antioch officers for alleged crimes that include civil rights violations, fraud, bribery, and involvement in drugs.
with conspiracy to murder multiple gang rivals, as well as two counts of attempted murder, in connection with a March 9, 2021 shooting in Antioch. Three other alleged gang members were charged on a separate docket with murder, as part of the same investigation into a gang rivalry that spanned from Oakland to Antioch.
The eight officers on leave for alleged racism join seven others who remain on leave due to the FBI investigation — plus others who resigned after learning of the criminal investigation — that have left a major gap in the Antioch police department’s ranks. It is unclear how their absence will affect the department and whether it will need to ask for assistance from outside agencies.
And while the chief noted the department plans to “partner with a host of internal and external community-based resources to anchor a city-wide approach to public safety,” he did not address whether the city would need to ask for outside assist due to the additional officers on leave.
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