A Massachusetts state trooper has been fired after using racial slurs during an off-duty encounter with a motorist, authorities said in a statement.
The unidentified male trooper exhibited “unacceptable conduct” during the weekend confrontation with the motorist in Revere, just outside Boston, Massachusetts State Police said. He was terminated Tuesday, officials said.
State police did not identify the race of the trooper and motorist, and it’s unclear what slurs were allegedly used by the trooper. Spokesman Dave Procopio told CNN on Wednesday that details were being withheld because of an ongoing investigation and information being sent to the state’s attorney general.
“I am disgusted and disappointed by the conduct that occurred, which is the antithesis of the standards of conduct and personal behavior we expect and demand of our members,” Col. Christopher Mason said in a statement.
“This subject is not fit to wear the badge or call themselves a member of the Department,” the state police superintendent said.
Officials would not disclose further details of the incident, saying only that it took place on Revere Beach Boulevard after the trooper “approached a male in a stationary vehicle.”
“Hate speech is appalling and deserving of our strongest condemnation. As a probationary trooper, his actions leave him no recourse,” the State Police Association of Massachusetts said in a statement to CNN.
The trooper was part of a recruit training group that graduated earlier this year in May. Authorities said that he was under a one-year probationary period and assigned to the Danvers Barracks.
The superintendent is referring information about the incident to the attorney general’s office for a review for potential civil rights violations or criminal conduct.
Gov. Charlie Baker appointed Mason to the post in November 2019. The superintendent said then he would focus on accountability and conduct, with an eye on increasing diversity in the ranks.
CNN’s Melissa Alonso and Jennifer Henderson contributed to this report.
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