WHITE OAK, Md. (AP) - County officials in Maryland want more transparency from police after a white officer's use of a racial slur was livestreamed on Instagram by a black man accused of trespassing at a McDonald's.
The Montgomery County Council is seeking the release of unedited body camera video that apparently shows the officer echoing the slur to the black man, who said it first to insult the officers.
Acting Police Chief Russ Hamill said mimicking another person's language is no excuse.
But Councilman Will Jawando tells WTOP-FM that officials also want to know what led to the May 9 confrontation over reported trespassing at a McDonald's in White Oak.
The council says agreements between police and some businesses that encourage officers to enforce trespass orders could create "a climate ripe for racial profiling."
