"Newly released body-camera footage shows Rivera saying racist slurs and threatening to cut the police department's budget during the stop - comments that have now sparked a sharp backlash from local police unions. In the second of two letters sent to city officials, the two Holyoke Police unions on Monday urged leaders to push for Rivera's resignation, saying his behavior "raises serious ethical, professional, and moral concerns.""
""When an elected official uses racist language, it signals contempt not only for entire communities, but for the public office they hold," the letter read. "Racism does not become acceptable because it comes from a City Councilor, and threats do not become permissible because they come from a City Councilor. Silence from City leadership does not make these issues disappear - it magnifies them," it continued."
"Note: The below video contains explicit language throughout. Lt. Andrew DiNapoli, the president of the Holyoke Police Supervisors Union Local 409, said the union had still not received a response from the city as of Wednesday morning. Rivera, who is Latino, responded briefly on Wednesday to the unions' calls: "I'm not surprised," he told Boston.com. Regarding his next steps, Rivera said, "Resignation is not one of them." He declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation."
Massachusetts State Police arrested Holyoke City Councilor Israel Rivera in December on charges of drunk driving and running a red light. Body-camera footage captured Rivera using racist slurs and threatening to cut the police department's budget during the traffic stop. Two Holyoke Police unions sent letters urging city leaders to press for Rivera's resignation and described his behavior as raising serious ethical, professional, and moral concerns. The unions warned that racist language and threats from an elected official signal contempt for communities and the public office. Rivera said he was not surprised and that resignation is not an option while citing ongoing litigation. Rivera pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance ahead of a January pretrial hearing.
Read at Boston.com
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