A former police constable in England has been sentenced to 20 weeks in jail after sending racist memes, including several mocking the death of George Floyd, over text in 2020. James Watts, 31, was working for the West Mercia Police north of London when he sent a string of 10 memes to friends in a group chat on WhatsApp in May, the same month Floyd was killed by the police, and June. Four memes directly referenced Floyd, including an image of a kneeling pad with the American’s face printed on it, according to the Daily Mail. Other texts from Watts referenced a derogatory term for Pakistani people, the Ku Klux Klan, and racist stereotypes about the size of Black men’s genitalia. Watts resigned after the memes were reported in June and an internal probe was launched. He pleaded guilty to charges of sending “grossly offensive” messages in a group chat last month. During a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Watts’ attorney downplayed the messages, saying, “None of the other group members could find an ounce of racism in him.” Watts’ name has been added to the College of Policing’s official blacklist, according to the Mail, effectively barring him from working for the police in England or Wales.
