23 October 2007
A police officer in the US state of Ohio who resigned during an uproar over internet videos disparaging blacks, Jews and other minorities has said she was shocked that some called her a racist. "I've never been a racist, it's not in my heart," Susan Purtee told the television station WBNS. In videos posted on “YouTube.com”, Purtee and her sister referred to Blacks, Jews, Cubans and illegal immigrants as "filthy" and accused Jews of abusing their positions within the media and entertainment industries.
Her sister, Barbara Gordon-Bell, said the two were just having fun but also made the videos to reveal the truth about America. Purtee, a patrol officer, was initially reassigned to a desk job after the videos came to light and were condemned by city officials. She announced her resignation a month ago. In the television interview, Purtee said she stood by her remarks, though maybe she could have softened them. "You try to do something you think is good for America, and you try to warn people that you are taken advantage of by the media, and then someone turns around and they go to the lowest level and try to say you're a racist," she said. "It was a shock, it never entered our minds."