Bayview officer accused of making racial slur inside police station

In an unusual move, the San Francisco Police Department on Friday released the details of a disciplinary case involving an unnamed officer who allegedly made racist remarks in the presence of other officers.

The San Francisco Examiner has since learned Sgt. Lawrence Kempinski, a 17-year veteran who most recently worked in the Bayview Station, allegedly made the remarks in front of other officers who reported the incident.

Kempinski allegedly said he only transferred to the station to “kill n—-rs,” according to a source in the department.

In early February the department learned Kempinski had used language with sexual and racial undertones, which was reported by the two other employee witnesses to the alleged incident, police said in a statement.

Kempinski was disarmed and reassigned to a position without public contact while an investigation ensued. In early April, Police Chief Greg Suhr suspended Kempinski and forwarded the case to the Police Commission with a recommendation that Kempinski face discipline, including possible termination.

Suhr has said publicly more than once that officers who make racist, bigoted statements like Kempinski’s have no place in the department.

According to his LinkedIn page, Kempinski has a master’s degree in theology, as well as a master’s from Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership. He attended the California P.O.S.T. – Supervisory Leadership Institute Certificate of Completion, Supervision, Leadership & Ethics.

He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Kempinski is just the latest of the growing list of officers who have been caught up in allegations of racism.

In its statement, the department said information about the inappropriate language was released to promote transparency among officers.