‘I sometimes misspeak’ – Temecula mayor resigns over controversial e-mail on police killings

Photo: CaliforniaGlobe/Wiki

The mayor of Temecula, a Southern California city, has resigned after sending a controversial email that stated that he didn’t “believe there’s ever been a good person of color killed by a police officer” in the region.

His comment comes at a time when protests have erupted in the U.S and other parts of the world following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, BreonnaTaylor and George Floyd.

In a Facebook post to defend his position, James Stewart said he is dyslexic and was responding to “a person concerned about our police officers and their sensitivity training”.

“What I said is and I don’t believe there was ever been a person of color murdered by police, on context to Temecula or Riverside county. I absolutely did not say ‘good’ I have no idea how that popped up,” he wrote.

“Please forgive me for this egregious error,” he added. Hours later, Stewart announced he was resigning.

In a statement, he said: “You have every right to be hurt and offended. My typos and off-the-cuff response to an email on a serious topic added pain at a time where our community, and our country, is suffering. I may not be the best writer and I sometimes misspeak, but I am not racist.”

Stewart, who was elected for a four-year term in 2016, will also step down as a member of the city council.

Temecula, a city of about 115, 000 people Southeast of Los Angeles, were quick to remind him of the 1998 death of Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old black woman who was killed by the police in her car.

Mayor Tem Maryann Edwards will take on mayoral duties for the remainder of 2020, Latimes reported.

Last Edited by:Kent Mensah Updated: June 8, 2020

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