A Cincinnati police officer was captured on her dash cam calling Black people the “n-word” and screaming that she hated them.
The incident occurred on April 5th when Cincinnati Police District Three Officer Rose Valentino arrived at the District Three police station to complete an offense report. As she pulled into the station parking area, she noticed several vehicles lined up in the street to pick up students from the nearby Western Hills University High School. Valentino activated her lights and sirens in an effort to clear the vehicles from blocking the road. When drivers failed to move, Valentino became infuriated and began cursing and yelling over her air horn. She screamed as drivers to move and called them “f*****g a*****s.”
Valentino then rolled down her window and yelled to a Black woman in one car that she needed to move. While addressing the woman, a Black Cincinnati Public Schools student walked past the police vehicle and flashed Valentino the middle finger. According to an internal report, Valentino became enraged behind the wheel, going on a racially charged rant in her car about her hate for Black people.
“Oh, I hate them so much. I hate this f*****g world. F*****g n*****s, I f***ing hate them,” Valentino stated and even punched her steering wheel in anger.
Cecil Thomas, an Ohio state senator, and former Cincinnati officer called Valentino a “liability.”
“When you have someone like that, the biggest issue is, is she going to cost the city at some point?” Thomas stated.
During an interview with investigators, the 14-year police veteran admitted to using the slur because she was frustrated that her commands were not being taken seriously. She also claimed that music and hearing people use the n-word made her desensitized. Valentino even claimed to be mentally unstable and having a “mental episode” in the heated moment. She maintains that she was not “classifying the whole race with her statement.”
Per Cincinnati’s administrative regulations, officers are prohibited from using racial slurs while on duty. The first offense is punishable by a 40-hour suspension. The probe into Valentino’s outburst is now closed. Valentino was on suspension pending the investigation’s outcome. Her final punishment will be determined soon.
