The four other SFPD officers behind the racist and homophobic text messages revealed by federal prosecutors on Friday have been identified and could potentially lose their jobs.
The Chronicle reports that all four officers are at least 15-year veterans of the force and two have faced disciplinary actions during their career. Although state laws prevented Chief Greg Suhr from confirming their identities, they have been identified as Michael Robison, Noel Schwab, Rain Daugherty and Michael Celis. Their text messages were revealed in a filing by prosecutors looking to keep officer Ian Furminger behind bars while he appeals his conviction on charges of corruption.
The four officers were reassigned to non-public-contact positions last month after the FBI handed over the text messages to the SFPD, and Chief Suhr said he would, "seek nothing less than termination for conduct and character incompatible with being a police officer."
"It makes me sick to my stomach to even have these guys around."
- Michael Robison is a 23-year old veteran of the force who was in the Special Victims Unit. Three years into his career, he was accused of placing a loaded gun under the chin of a suspect and called him a racial slur. The allegation was dismissed and he faced no discipline.
- Noel Schwab is a 16-year veteran who worked at the Southern Station who made headlines when he was caught on video arresting a skateboarder and threatening him by saying, "Resist again, and I'm going to break your arm like a twig." It is not clear if he faced any discipline for the incident.
- Rain Daugherty is a 15-year veteran who is currently on personnel leave. Through his attorney, he said he is "ashamed and mortified" of the messages and accepts full responsibility.
- Michael Celis is a 16-year veteran who, in 2004, was charged with misconduct by using his badge and a $100 bribe to get into his estranged wife's hotel room. He was ordered to surrender his weapon after the incident, but bought a gun the next day and was served a suspension for that.
An attorney representing Robison and Celis admitted that the texts were "unfortunate, to say the least," adding, "Not many of us would want all of our texts published and to have our entire career judged by our worst comments."
A spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Lee said, "Such actions have no place in the Police Department."