Officer In Racial Controversy Leaves Cobb Police Department

MARIETTA, GA -- The officer caught on video making inappropriate racial remarks during a traffic stop is no longer with the force, according to Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register. The explosive dashcam video came to light this week even though it is from July 2016.

In the video, Lt. Greg Abbott can be heard telling a white female driver that she doesn't have to be concerned about being shot because, "we only kill black people." The comments have been roundly condemned by community members and on social media, where the video is spreading like wildfire.

Register said that after an internal review of the situation, "the recommendation is termination" for Abbott, a 28-year member of the force. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Cobb Officer On Dashcam Video: 'We Only Kill Black People'

"If you're thinking that I'm walking up here making an excuse today about the comments heard on the video, you're wrong. I make no excuses for that. That was wrong. What was said was said and we're going to deal with that," he said.

"I worked hard since becoming the chief here in June to strengthen the relationship between the community and the police department ... and it's sad to think that several seconds of video has the potential of tearing that apart and I hope that that is not the case."

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In the grainy dashcam footage, the woman is evidently afraid to move her hands and grab her cell phone, referencing that she knew that traffic stops could be deadly. That's when Abbott tells her that it's OK to move her hands, saying: “But you're not black. Remember, we only kill black people. We only kill black people, right?”

Register said a report from an internal review "communicates that Lt. Abbott was attempting to use that type of dialog from a sarcastic point of view." Still, he said, the remarks undermine the good work that Cobb officers do every day.

Register said that he knew Abbott to be a "good man" and a "man with a family," adding that the officer had no disciplinary history. Still, he said the comments were inexcusable.

"Those comments that were seen on the video are not indicative of the culture I'm trying to build here," he said.

Abbott reportedly retired at about the same time Register was holding a news conference about his firing. Abbott was in the process of sending in a retirement request, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Image via Cobb PD / Facebook