Ocoee police terminate lieutenant for racial slur

OCOEE – The Ocoee Police Department has terminated a law-enforcement officer who used a racial slur during a casual conversation with a colleague.

The former police officer, Lt. William Wagner, was placed under investigation late September after using the term "nigger house" to refer to his photos on his cellphone of his home, which had been damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Wagner had been conversing with Officer Bruce Riggins in the rear parking lot of the department during the incident. Following Wagner's use of the term, which was found to have been a violation of department policy, Riggins reported the incident to Sgt. James Berish from the department's Internal Affairs Division.

Wagner is said to have apologized for the incident and reported his statement to Ocoee Police Chief Charles Brown, who then ordered an internal investigation be conducted into the incident. The concluding report recommended Wagner be officially terminated from his position.

“The Ocoee Police Department holds all members of the department to the highest standards of the law enforcement profession, and Lieutenant Wagner’s behavior has fallen short," said Chief Brown in a press release. I am deeply troubled by his use of a racial slur, which is not only offensive and unacceptable – his actions undermine the tremendous work our police officers do every day to build a true partnership with our Ocoee community based on trust and respect. We will always be committed to transparency and accountability.”

According to the department's report, there are no similar incidents reported in Wagner's personnel file.