Police department in Georgia apologizes over image of Black man used for target practice
A police department in Georgia is apologizing after posting now-deleted footage showed several white participants in a handgun training course shooting a photo of a Black man for target practice. The footage has sparked outrage among some in the community.
A representative from the police department told ABC News that the human images will no longer be used for civilian target practice following the outrage but the images will continue to be used for law enforcement training per law enforcement training standards.
Footage posted online by the Villa Rica Police Department, captured by ABC affiliate WSB-TV before their deletion, show only images of a Black man being used by civilian class participants, though the department said that the images are one of "various ethnic groups" included in the target practice photos.
Online commenters critiqued the apparent sole use of images with a Black male.
"Hating and being afraid of [Black] people is taught at home, at police training and apparently random handgun classes," read one comment on the police department's Facebook post.
Members of the Carroll County branch of the NAACP criticized the department's use of photos as targets. In an interview, NAACP Carroll County President Dominique Conteh said she was in disbelief when she saw the photos.
"With everything going on in our society, with the polarization of race and guns ... Black and brown people being unfortunately violently gunned down and for that particular target to be utilized in any type of training -- it was disbelief," Conteh told ABC News.
She later continued, "When you are using any type of human being as a target, you're inadvertently ... training yourself in your mind, psychologically, to get accustomed and comfortable with shooting those types of individuals."
Conteh, who said she is a military veteran, said she used silhouettes or targets in her training -- not human photos.
"I don't believe any human being -- whatever race or ethnic group -- should be used as target practice," she said.
Villa Rica Mayor Gil McDougal ordered the images to be removed from social media and for an independent firm to investigate the incident, according to WSB-TV.
Conteh said in the statement she has requested a meeting with the department and leadership to discuss the incident.
Diversity training would give more insight "as to the reasoning as to why those targets are 'unacceptable and deemed racist,'" Conteh said in the statement.
"It was never our intention to be insensitive, inflammatory, or offensive to anyone," the police department said in an online statement.
The department said it "strives to be conscious of how our relationship with our community members has a direct impact on our effectiveness within the community we serve."
