Arkansas Sheriff Resigns After Racist Rant Leaks

An Arkansas sheriff resigned on Friday after his racist rant leaked online, NBC News reports.

Todd Wright of Arkansas County became enraged when a woman he was with simply talked to a Black man in a store. The audio of the encounter has since been widely circulated on the internet and in it, he can be heard repeatedly using racial slurs. The woman in the audio refers to the person she talking to as “Todd.” Wright was identified by a local news outlet as the man using the racial slurs.

On Friday, Wright resigned effective immediately during a public meeting on the incident at the Quorum Court, which was recorded live and posted on Facebook. Protesters cheered as Wright was escorted from the courthouse after resigning.

Wright insisted he’s not racist during the court meeting, apologized, and said that his comments were made when he was “upset over certain things.”

Wright will continue to be paid until September 30, but he will not be an active law enforcement officer, according to a motion passed by the court.