A top police officer in Connecticut’s largest city is on administrative leave after allegedly sending racist text messages to another officer.
Bridgeport Police Captain Mark Straubel is accused of texting a racist joke about an African-American colleague. In one of the texts obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, Straubel joked that he asked a fellow officer if the movie “Planet of the Apes” made him homesick.
A spokesperson for the police department said in a statement that a citizen’s complaint had been filed against Straubel by a retired police officer. The spokesperson said Captain Straubel has been relieved of his duties and put on administrative leave, and the matter is under investigation with Internal Affairs. Straubel, who was promoted to captain in 2016, is one of Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez’s top aides.
