Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe responded Saturday after a judge released the names of 17 police officers accused of using racist language.
A Contra Costa County Superior Court judge released their names Friday afternoon.
The news comes after several officers were placed on administrative leave last month for alleged civil rights violations and other possible crimes.
In a video statement released on his YouTube channel Saturday, Thorpe responded to the incident.
"There are no words to express my profound disappointment, given that one of the officers serves as president of the Antioch police union," he said. "While Antioch has worked hard to become of the Bay Area's most racially diverse cities, this will undoubtedly leave an embarrassing stain in our community."
Thorpe added that he is extremely disappointed with the culture of racism in the department. He is now calling for an independent audit of the police department’s internal affairs process.
The mayor also wants a complete independent audit of promotion and hiring practices and he is pushing for measures to crack down on racist and bias behaviors in officers.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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