Wyoming's first Black sheriff took steps to fire a high-ranking white deputy who is currently being sued by a former Black officer for years of racism in a federal lawsuit.
Last year, Sheriff Aaron Appelhans fired Albany County Patrol Sgt. Christian Handley for the years of racism he put another Black officer through –– so much to the point the officer quit the force in 2017 and is now suing Handley.
A federal lawsuit filed by Cpl. Jamin Johnson last week accuses Handley of multiple racist incidents –– including a time where Handley drove past Johnson's home, yelling the N-word and other profanity out of the window while Johnson, his wife and children were exiting the home.
"Mr. Handley later apologized for not having realized that Mr. Johnson's family was present, as if his vile racism was otherwise acceptable," the lawsuit reads, according to The Huffington Post.
Johnson is seeking damages and is willing to let the suit go to a jury trial if need be, the outlet noted.
News of Johnson's lawsuit comes after Appelhans' historic appointment in Laramie, Wyoming where several incidents –– including the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard and the 2018 shooting of an unarmed man diagnosed with schizophrenia –– led to public outcry.
According to Johnson's lawsuit, Handley used racial slurs against Black citizens and local college students and that his racism was "widespread and well-known."
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