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'Racist cartoon' case against SDPD goes to jury

Officer alleges he was fired over complaint
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SAN DIEGO - A civil suit against the San Diego Police Department has gone to the jury.

Sgt. Arthur Scott's complaint about a racist newspaper cartoon from 1909 was just one of his accusations of racism within the San Diego Police Dept.  It depicts our first African-American officer, Frank McCarter, as an ape; it was used briefly in training sessions to show the bias McCarter faced then.
 
Altered posters of former President Barack Obama and Adolf Hitler inside lockers were another source of irritation.
 
His attorneys claim Scott was a victim of retaliation for his complaints; suspended and transferred.
 
Jim Mitchell telling the court, "He's not goin' anywhere, other than being a sergeant. That's not fair to him. That's a career that was on the upward and now it's leveled off and maybe gone down and not because he did anything wrong."
 
City attorney George Schaeffer argues that yes, he was disciplined for several acts, including spending time at home when he was supposed to be on duty but that there was no retaliation.
 
"From everything we've heard, there was no harm here. There was no loss of income between the two positions, no loss of benefits. You should not award a single penny to Arthur Scott."
 
The jury will begin deliberations next Tuesday.