Civil rights lawyers have sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the California United States Attorney's Office, requesting they investigate allegations of civil rights violations in the Antioch Police Department text messaging scandal.
This comes after at least 45 officers are accused of exchanging racist and homophobic text messages.
Some of the texts described police beating suspects and making up evidence.
John Burris, one of the attorneys, says he expects the DOJ to issue key recommendations.
"There's a particular federal statute that says that the Department of Justice can come into a department and investigate it if they have reason to believe that discriminatory law enforcement practices has taken place based on race, gender, in this case we have not only race, but we have homophobic, anti-semitics, including against Black and Brown people,” said Burris.
The California attorney general's office, the FBI, and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office are already investigating the Antioch Police Department's practices.
Dozens of officers have been suspended and at least one has been fired.
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