COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene, who is being investigated through the State Bureau of Investigation for the obstruction of justice He has resigned from the NC Sheriff’s Association.
The resignation was announced following a meeting of Greene was removed from office after the Sheriff’s Association met to discuss remarks that were deemed racist and which were blamed on Greene.
The NCSA declares, “The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (the Association) is the sole representative of all the sheriffs across the state is aware of the racially charged remarks allegedly that were made by Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene that have shook the conscience. The remarks made in the video are provocative racist, demeaning, insulting and offensive.”
Sheriff Greene resigned from the association following the announcement that it would hold an inquiry to decide what actions it could be able to take against him all the way to expulsion from the organization.
WECT, our sister station located is located in Wilmington, WECT, obtained the transcript of a telephone call during which the man was talking with one of his African American employees.
The decision was made years ago following Greene barely beat Lewis Hatcher in the sheriff’s race.
Hatcher was the county’s first African American sheriff and was seeking to be returned to the position until disagreements regarding the results on the ballot could be settled.
The sheriff in charge at the time Captain Jason Soles, said he began recording a late-night conversation with Greene following the time that Greene began using racist speech, which included, among other matters, “I’m sick of it. I’m tired of these Black bashings. I’m going to tidy up my up my home and then get over it. Then we’ll move on to the next step.”
The sheriff said to WECT the station that he didn’t remember the conversation.
A statement by the county attorney’s office said they were unable to discuss the matter because of the personnel laws however, they didn’t address the language that is racially charged.