A Long Island police officer has been charged with a hate crime for damaging a Black cell phone technician’s SUV and hurling a racial slur at him, officials said.
Rockville Center Police Officer John Murphy, 40, confronted the phone company subcontractor in Manorville about 7 p.m. Nov. 3, demanding to know what the worker was doing in the area, according to prosecutors.
Murphy, who lives in Manorville, refused to look at the man’s credentials, then allegedly kicked the worker’s GMC Terrain, ripped a light off the vehicle and shouted a racist slur, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately clear Wednesday if Murphy was on duty at the time of the clash.
“The victim here was just trying to do his job, when the defendant allegedly harassed him and damaged his vehicle,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.
“To make matters worse, the defendant is a sworn law enforcement officer, responsible for protecting the rights of citizens, rather than violating them, as is alleged here. Such conduct will not be tolerated in Suffolk County.”
The Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit arrested Murphy just before 6 a.m. Wednesday, Tierney said.
He was charged with two counts of criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.
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