The officer violated department policies, according to police.
A Cincinnati police officer who Tased an 11-year-old girl he suspected of shoplifting told her, "You know, sweetheart, this why there's no grocery stores in the black community," according to bodycam video released by his department.
An internal investigation of the August incident determined Officer Kevin Brown, who also is African-American, violated department policies. It marks the second time Brown has been accused of making inappropriate comments, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Brown was previously written up for using a homophobic slur while referring to a domestic violence victim, the paper said.
The newly released video shows the child crying as paramedics remove the Taser prongs from her back.
Brown violated four department policies, the investigation revealed, according to CBS News. They included not warning the girl he was going to use his Taser, and making prejudiced comments.
The 55-year-old cop was on a theft-prevention detail a Kroger's supermarket when he said he saw a group of young girls shoplifting items from the store. Brown used his Taser when the 11-year-old kept walking despite being ordered to stop, he said.
The department also said he violated department policy by not activating his body cam until after he had shocked the girl.
"I just don't know if you have room on the police department for people like this. This guy, from what I am hearing, has serious issues," said Wendell Young, a city councilman and former police officer.
Cincinnati Police Union President Dan Hils defended Brown's remarks to the child. "This was nothing more than an African American police officer talking to the girl in a fatherly way," he told WKRC-TV.
Any disciplinary action is up to Police Chief Eliot Isaac, who said this week that the action against the girl was unnecessary. At the chief's request, theft charges against the girl were dropped.
Brown is currently restricted to desk duty. His punishment could range from counseling to dismissal, the network reported.
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