It’s an appalling situation for Clatskanie resident Aimee Driskill, who is upset by the city’s kid-gloves handling of the former police chief, Raw Story reports.
“It feels disgusting to be honest with you,” Driskill said. “The reason why I am really affected by this is because I have seen my father being mistreated by police officers.”
Hoover was suspended in August after two officers alleged that he compared black people to monkeys. Then the city council allowed him to resign from his job and never addressed the charges of on-duty racism.
In a letter to the editor published in The Chief newspaper regarding Hoover’s resignation, Clatskanie Mayor Diane Pohl commented:
“I consider Chief Hoover an honorable man and officer,” Pohl wrote. “And so I say, thanks Chief Hoover for a job well done. You have this community’s gratitude, gratefulness and appreciation.”
Her letter didn’t make references to the racism allegations made against Hoover, KOIN 6 reports.
The two officers have filed a lawsuit against their former chief and allege he discriminated against an African-American woman who had been arrested, RT.com reports. While the incident happened in August, the details weren’t leaked to the press until Sunday.
In the complaint, officer Dustin Stone says: “As Chief Hoover was comparing African-Americans to monkeys, I began to become extremely uncomfortable,” The Independent reports. “I have never been in a work environment where a manager, especially an executive officer, is openly racist.”
Stone said it began when he was telling Hoover that the arrested woman had accused officers of “racism and discrimination” and then said she was going to file a lawsuit against the police department.
“When you look at me, my black sin and my nappy hair, all you see is an animal?” the woman said, according to Stone, per RT.com.
Officer Zack Gibson, who witnessed the conversation confirmed what Stone said.
As Stone was relaying the woman’s remarks, Hoover allegedly interrupted him and said “that’s what she is [a monkey].”
Then, according to the complaint, Stone alleges:
“Chief Hoover then began to act like a monkey. [He] placed his hands in his armpits and began scratching them,” Stone said, per RT.com. “Chief Hoover also started making loud monkey sounds.
The officer also added that Hoover “started to move around the room, in a dance or jumping fashion. While jumping and moving about the room, Chief Hoover beat his chest like Tarzan.”
He didn’t stop there, Stone alleges. Hoover reportedly began singing “Dixie Land,” a song that’s considered offensive because it sympathizes with slavery and apartheid in southern states.
“In a land of cotton…old times they’re not forgotten…look away…look away…look away…Dixieland,” the song goes.
Officer Gibson also alleged that Hoover sang the song, the Independent reports.
As he sang, Hoover allegedly knelt on his right knee, making punching movements with his right fist.
“Chief Hoover held his left hand in front of him in a gripping motion, as if he was holding a person by the shirt collar,” Stone reported. “In addition, while singing the words ‘look away,’ Chief Hoover moved his head back and forth to his left and right as if he was looking over his shoulder.”
During an executive session of the Clatskanie City Council, Hoover was placed on paid administrative leave.
An official report has been filed with the Oregon Department of Public Safety, KOIN reports.
Since filing the report, Officer Stone says members of the community have been harassing him.
“I’ve already faced a lot of retaliation, my wife’s been forced off the road twice,” he said. “I’ve had people in the community yelling the N-word at me.”
KOIN 6 says it left messages for Hoover and Pohl but didn’t receive a response.
