A white San Jose police officer who shot a Black football player “hero” who wrestled a gun away from a man at a restaurant last year has resigned after he was exposed for sending racist text messages that included, “I hate black people.”
Former officer Mark McNamara is no longer with the force after internal affairs investigators “discovered that the officer had sent disgusting text messages that demonstrated racial bias,” said San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata in a news release issued Friday.
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The colleague McNamara was texting has been placed on administrative leave due to his “concerning dialogue with the former officer,” Mata added. He said the texts were revealed as part of an unrelated criminal investigation into McNamara.
In March 2022, McNamara shot K’aun Green, then 20, four times as Green was leaving La Victoria Taqueria after wrestling a ghost gun away from a man involved in a late-night brawl at the restaurant.
Green, who was described as a “hero” by witnesses and played football for Contra Costa College at the time, was hit in the abdomen, leg, and arm. He later filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, which hasn’t yet been tried.
Police said they believed it was an active shooter situation and that they issued Green commands to drop the gun. Bystander footage showed Green had his back turned to the officers as he was leaving and McNamara shot him as soon as he turned around, as VICE News previously reported. His lawyers said he didn’t have enough time to recognize that the police were on scene or hear their commands in all the commotion.
In texts sent to a colleague days after the shooting, McNamara appears to have referred to Green as the N-word, saying, “N—- wanted to carry a gun in the Wild West,” followed by “Not on my watch haha.”
In June, he sent texts about the lawsuit, seemingly describing Green’s lawyers as “parasites.” Two of Green’s lawyers are Black and one is Native American.
He also said he told the lawyer representing the city that he didn’t care about the case.
“I’m like dude, I don’t give a shit about this case. I’m white, he’s black, he’s gonna win. AND I DONT CARE. It’s like bitch whatever they decide has no bearing on me what so ever. It’s basically kangaroo court.”
Referring to Green as the N-word again, he said one of Green’s lawyers told him he could be found guilty of using excessive force.
“I’m like, hmmm yeah then shat (sic) happens?? Nothing?? Cool. Cuz I’m pretty sure the district attorney would have charged me if I used excessive force, but she didn’t, because I didn’t use excessive force. Think I give a fuck what y’all n— think?!???? I’ll shoot you too!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!”
McNamara texted that during the hearing, “there was like 65 African lookin mother fuckers there too. All just mean mugging me and taking notes. They should all be bowing down to me and brining (sic) me gifts since I saved a fellow n—- by making him rich as fuck. Otherwise he woulda lived a life of poverty and crime.”
The colleague McNamara was texting then asked, “Why don’t black people have any sense in their head?”
In July, McNamara called Green the N-word in another text, saying, “This n—- is asking for 10 million dollars,” and that Green would “probably blow it all in like a year.”
In a follow-up text he said, “I hate black people.”
In a press conference Sunday, Green said, “I never thought somebody could just have that much hatred in their heart to where they would want to kill me just because of what I look like.”
Green said his stomach still hurts a lot and that he’s dealing with depression. “I fight through a lot of pain.” A defensive lineman for City College of San Francisco, he said he still hopes to make it into the NFL.
His lawyer Adante Pointer said the texts confirm a culture of racism “thrives” within the San Jose police department.
“They allowed him to resign before they fired him. He should have been terminated on the spot when they first saw these text messages,” Pointer said.
He added that McNamara should be criminally charged and should never work as a cop again.
Mata said criminal charges against McNamara are not anticipated.
