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A Black police officer in Florida is back on duty this week after he was fired for using the N-word on the job.
Delvin White, a school resource officer at a Tampa middle school, was kicked off the force in March after an audit of his body camera revealed at least two videos where he used the slur in November 2020.
In one of the videos, White was heard referencing a group of people as “ghetto n***as” during a phone call, the Tampa Police Department said in a statement earlier this year. Local media later reported that White used the word while on a private phone call with his wife.
According to reports, while White was under investigation, he also confessed to using the N-word while making an arrest earlier that same month. Police said White uttered the word twice while arresting someone suspected of trespassing. Local media reported that the arrest involved a Black student who refused to leave the school’s premises.
White had been with the Tampa Police Department for eight years at the time of his termination. Members of the community, including students, immediately protested the department’s decision.
“Officer White is a beloved and trusted member of the East Tampa community that he was raised in and that he protected every day,” the Tampa Police Benevolent Association said in March.
“Despite his misstep, throughout the investigation, private citizens and other individuals associated with his school contacted the Chief of Police lending their support and reflecting their admiration for his character and contributions.”
The city’s Civil Service Board took over the case and voted unanimously this week to reinstate White to the force effective immediately. White did not receive back pay, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
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