The scandal came to light in October 2026, when the existence of a group chat among officers became known.
According to sources cited by WBTV, the officers bragged about stopping Black drivers and compared who had stopped the most.
The conversations also contained racist slurs and comments about shooting Black residents.
The police department identified those involved: Mateo Juárez, Joseph Kelly, Tredan Maronic, Matthew Osborn, Alexander Larsen, Jeremiah Todman, and Seth Elliott.
Six resigned, and Todman remained suspended without pay. Elliott had left the department in August, during another investigation into the alleged misuse of police systems.
The messages were discovered while examining Elliott’s phone.
Police Chief Estella Patterson condemned the conversations and requested federal support to investigate possible civil rights violations.
Although the allegations sparked outrage, authorities said they had not yet found evidence that the officers conducted illegal stops for racial reasons.
The case prompted deep questions about racism within an institution charged with protecting the public.