San Jose Police Officer Resigns Over Racist Texts Linked to 2022 Shooting of Black College Athlete

Officer Mark McNamara, who served the San Jose Police Department for six years, voluntarily steps down following exposure of racially charged messages related to the questionable 2022 shooting of K’aun Green, a Black college football player; a second employee involved in the text exchange placed on administrative leave pending internal investigation.

• San Jose police officer Mark McNamara has resigned after an unrelated criminal investigation uncovered numerous racially biased text messages related to a 2022 shooting incident. McNamara shot K’aun Green, a Black college football player, four times after Green wrestled a gun away from a perpetrator during a dispute in a local taqueria.
• The text messages, which included racial slurs and expressed a strong bias against Black people, reveal McNamara mocking and making light of the incident. In one message, McNamara, who is white, referred to the shooting as 'just out here clappin fools,' a slang for 'shooting gangsters.' Another message had McNamara admitting he hates Black people.
• In the aftermath of the shooting, Green, now 22, who used to play football at Contra Costa College, had to sit out the entire 2022 season due to injuries, and reportedly suffers from depression. Green and his lawyer have filed a federal lawsuit against McNamara, the San Jose Police Department, and the City of San Jose, citing excessive force and the city’s liability.
• An unidentified SJPD employee who received some of the racially charged messages has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The language used by this employee in response to McNamara's messages was described by Police Chief Antony Mata as 'concerning.'
• Green's lawyer and his legal team are pushing for criminal charges and a hate crime investigation into McNamara's actions. Meanwhile, the trial in the federal lawsuit against McNamara, the SJPD and the City of San Jose is projected to begin in Spring 2024.

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