ORTING, Wash. — Orting officials say a City Council member and former mayor used "offensive and deplorable" language in an email that prompted a complaint from the city's only black police officer.
The News Tribune reports Councilman Guy "Sam" Colorossi sent the message to police department staff and fellow council members Nov. 30.
The email included a link to a video in which controversial YouTube personality Tommy "TJ" Sotomayor uses racially charged language and encourages white officers to avoid policing black communities.
Colorossi says he didn't mean to offend anyone with the email and that he sent it out for informational purposes.
City officials say they are seeking an outside investigation into the email.
The incident comes months after a former police officer filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the city.