Sheriff resigns after recording surfaces of him using racial slurs in supermarket

Graig Graziosi
·2 min read

An Arkansas sheriff has resigned after a recording of him using racial slurs and offensive language began circulating on social media.

Arkansas County Sheriff Todd Wright resigned after the Arkansas County Quorum court passed a resolution asking for his resignation, according to the Stuttgart Daily Leader.

In the recording, Mr Wright uses a racial slur nine times after becoming upset that a woman he was with talked to a black man at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. During the five minute recording, Mr Wright calls the woman a "n***** lover."

"I don't understand why you're so mad at me," she asks.

"Why you got to holler at f****** n****** when I'm around," the man responds.

The court unanimously approved the resolution to call for his resignation.

Mr Wright asked if he could have a month to get his affairs in order and search for a new job before giving his resignation, but the court pushed him to leave immediately.

A friend of Mr Wright's, Bobby Webb, pleaded with him to resign immediately.

"I've known you all my life. You need to take that badge and you need to lay it on that table and you need to walk out of here," he said. "You know I love you."

Mr Wright gave an emotional verbal resignation before offering a written resignation later during the court session.

County Judge Thomas Best said the situation saddened him.

"It saddens me that anyone would disrespect God's creation in this manner," Mr Best said. "No way will I condone this action from anyone."

During the court session, Mr Wright apologised to "everyone" and said he made the comments while he was "upset over certain things."

"That's not me," he claimed. "People who know me, know that's not me. I was angry."

Despite the recording, he claimed he was not a racist.

The mother of the man Mr Wright made the disparaging remarks about voiced her anger, calling her son a "hardworking man with two jobs" "names like that."

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