Georgia cop recorded telling woman 'we only shoot black people' will be fired

(Image credit: iStockphoto)

last updated 1 September 2017

A Cobb County, Georgia, police lieutenant will be fired after being caught on camera telling a white woman during a traffic stop not to worry because "we only kill black people."

Atlanta's WSB-TV obtained dashcam footage from 2016 that showed the incident unfold. The woman said she was afraid to move her hands because she had seen videos of police brutality, and the officer, identified as Lt. Greg Abbott, is heard responding: "Remember, we only kill black people. We only kill black people, right?" Police Chief Mike Register told WSB the footage was taken during a DUI stop, and "no matter what context it was said, it shouldn't have been said."

Abbott's attorney, Lance LoRusso, told WSB in a statement his client's "comments must be observed in their totality to understand their context. He was attempting to de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger. In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger's own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest." Abbott, a 25-year veteran of the force, had been placed on administrative leave during an internal investigation into the matter.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Zurich Speed Reads

To continue reading this article...

Create a free account

Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.

Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.

Cancel or pause at any time.

Already a subscriber to The Week?

Unlimited website access is included with Digital and Print + Digital subscriptions.
with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.

Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox