No Charges In Racist Video Investigation: Chief State's Attorney

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — There will be no criminal charges filed against North Branford men seen in a racist video that was widely circulated across social media, police said Tuesday.

North Branford police said last week that the Office of the Chief State's Attorney would review the case and make a decision on charges, if any. Deputy Police Chief James Lovelace said Tuesday that an “extensive review” was undertaken by the state’s attorney and there will be no charges.

“The North Branford Police Department thank's the the Office of the Chief State's Attorney for their assistance, professionalism and expertise in evaluating this incident,” he said in an emailed statement.

Last week Patch reported that an explicitly racist video featuring two young men, both identified by police as North Branford residents, was under investigation.

The 33-second clip shows several young, white men, two from North Branford, remarking: "This is for all the n------ out there," they say. "All the n------. This is for George Floyd's weak-ass neck. George Floyd's weak-ass neck. Hope the next generation have stronger necks."

The video was first posted to Instagram where the two North Branford men were tagged. Shortly after, each shuttered their Instagram and other social media pages.

The video post on Instagram has more than 50,000 views.

One of the North Branford residents in the video attends Keene State College in New Hampshire.

The college, tagged in the video, responded on Instagram:

"We are taking this seriously. The content in this video does not reflect Keene State's values in any way. We are now following up."

Patch reached out to the college and while the dean of students did not respond, Dottie R. Morris, Keene State College Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity, did.

“The messages in the video are unacceptable, and stand in stark contrast to the values that Keene State College holds around diversity, equity and inclusion. We are working with authorities that are involved in the situation, and we are conducting our own outreach with parties involved, guided by the conduct policies Keene State has in place. We assure you that we are taking this seriously as we move forward.”

When North Branford police first posted to Facebook about the video, it noted that the video, "In no way identifies the values, morals or beliefs of any of our residents in North Branford."

"We along with all of you are angry and outraged by these individuals actions," police wrote. "We stand with all of our community in condemning racism and will proceed further with all recommendations and actions recommended by the Connecticut States Attorney’s office."

In his emailed statement Tuesday, Lovelace said that pursuing an investigation is an “example of this department's commitment to transparency and unwavering support and trust from our community.”

“We stand committed with all of those in our community and around the State of Connecticut in condemning racism,” Lovelace wrote. “We further stand with all our criminal justice partnerships in investigating any and all complaints of hate crimes in a swift and professional manner. We further will continue to work with all of our community leaders, community stakeholders and residents in ending all forms of racism.”

Lovelace then offered thanks to the community.

“The North Branford Police Department thanks the community and all those affected by this incident for their patience and understanding as a comprehensive review was conducted,” he said.