Cop arrested for writing threatening racist letter to himself

A former Connecticut police officer has admitted that he wrote a threatening, racist letter to himself in an effort to portray his department as bigoted.

Clive Higgins, the former Bridgeport cop who claimed that he found a racist letter typed on city letterhead that began and ended with “white power,” was arrested Wednesday after two investigations concluded the incident was perpetrated to falsely portray racism in the department, the CT Post reported, adding that a fellow law enforcement official also implicated in the letter writing has been put on leave.

Besides “white power,” the letter also stated, “Officer Clive Higgins doesn’t belong here in this Police Department” and “these black officers belong in the toilet,” NBC New York reported, adding another quote from the letter: “You [Higgins] better watch your back. … We know where you live.”

When state police met with Higgins during the letter investigation, according to the arrest warrant affidavit, they pointed out that he is seen on surveillance video typing a letter on a department computer, printing it and making copies, the CT Post reported, adding that the letter he typed appears to be the same letter he claimed to find, the affidavit states.

“Higgins then admitted that it was, in fact, the hate letter he claimed to have found in his mailbox,” the CT Post quoted the affidavit.

Asked by state police why he would have done that, “Higgins then stated to investigators that [fellow official Lonnie] Blackwell told him he should write a letter to bring attention to the department with respect to ongoing racial complaints,” the affidavit was quoted by the CT Post.

Lt.Lonnie Blackwell, president of the Bridgeport Guardians minority officers’ association, was relieved of his command and placed on administrative leave with pay for his alleged involvement in the incident, the CT Post stated.

Higgins, who resigned from the department on July 6, was released after his arraignment and is due in court on Dec. 16, according to NBC New York.