Oregon Police Chief Marvin Hoover, Who Compared African Americans To Monkeys, Resigns

Marvin Hoover, an Oregon police chief who compared African Americans to monkeys, has resigned.

According to KOIN,Clatskanie Police Chief Marvin Hoover had been on paid administrative leave since August after Officer Dustin Stone filed a complaint, claiming that Hoover started acting like a monkey during a debriefing regarding a black woman who said she would file lawsuits against the police department, citing racism and discrimination.. The complaint suggests Hoover made monkey sounds and moved around the room with his hands under his armpits in an offensive manner.

“Chief Hoover then began to act like a monkey,” Officer Stone wrote in the complaint to the Oregon Department of Public Safety. “Chief Hoover placed his hands in his armpits and began scratching them. Chief Hoover also started making loud monkey sounds: “Hooo…hooo…..hooo….hahahaha…hooo…..haaah” While Chief Hoover was scratching and chanting, he started to move around the room, in a dance or jumping fashion. While jumping and moving about the room Chief Hoover momentarily beat his chest like Tarzan.”

“I relayed several of the arrestee’s remarks such as, ‘When you look at me, my black and my nappy hair, all you see is animal,'” Officer Stone wrote in his official report to the Oregon Department of Public Safety. “Chief Hoover interrupted me and said, ‘That’s what she is.'”

Stone also said Hoover started singing the song, Dixie and began acting as if he was punching and choking someone.

“As Chief Hoover was comparing African-Americans to monkeys, I began to become extremely uncomfortable,” Stone said. “I have never been in a work environment where a manager, especially an executive officer, is openly racist.”

After reporting the incident, Stone said he has received backlash and harassment from the community. He said his wife has been forced off of the road on two separate occasions, and he has had the N-word yelled at him multiple times.

Following Hoover’s resignation, Clatskanie Mayor Diane Pohl published a Letter to the Editor in The Chief newspaper. Nowhere in the letter did she comment on the racist allegations made towards Hoover.

“I consider Chief Hoover an honorable man and officer,” Pohl wrote. “And so I say, thanks Chief Hoover for a job well done. You have this community’s gratitude, gratefulness and appreciation. Enjoy your retirement knowing we will miss you and wish you all the best.”

[Photo via YouTube video screenshot]