The police commissioner of a town in New Hampshire is refusing to apologize for using the N-word to describe President Barack Obama. Wolfeboro Police Commissioner Robert Copeland, 82, has refused to resign from his post.
Copeland was confronted by citizens at a town meeting Thursday, but he just sat with his arms crossed, ignoring their calls for him to resign. He remained silent during the meeting, but later sent a letter to the woman who overheard him using the N-word in the first place.
Back in March, Jane O’Toole overheard Copeland’s conversation at a restaurant and then wrote to his boss, the town manager, reports WMUR. “It's not like I was eavesdropping. Mr. Copeland was being very loud,” O’Toole told the station.
O’Toole later received an emailed letter from Copeland, which “really took the wind out of my sails.”
According to The Associated Press, in the letter, which he also sent to fellow police commissioners, Copeland completely admits to using the N-word to describe Obama. “For this, I do not apologize — he meets and exceeds my criteria for such,” he wrote.
After Thursday’s meeting, citizens confronted Copeland, who again, refused to apologize. He refused to talk to a WMUR reporter, who he called a “skunk.”
Wolfeboro is a town of 6,300 residents in central New Hampshire, with 20 black residents. The town has 12 full-time officers, none of whom are black.
“Comments like these, especially coming from a public official, are not only inexcusable but also terribly, unfortunately, reflects poorly on our town,” O’Toole said during the meeting to applause. And while Town Manager David Owen did say that Copeland’s comments were “reprehensible,” he stressed that he could not force Copeland to resign, particularly since Copeland was elected to his position.