Gießen (dpa/lhe) – After a suspected racist incident, investigations are underway against an officer at the central Hesse police headquarters. The police officer is said to have made racist remarks to an alleged troublemaker, as the Bureau announced in Gießen on Tuesday. The words can therefore be heard on an Internet video. The Bureau became aware of the clip on Monday evening, identified the officer and secured the sequence for further investigations. The police asked the previously unknown victim to get in touch as soon as possible.

It is currently assumed that the incident occurred in Gießen in autumn 2020 at the latest, a spokesman for the police headquarters said.

“Such a racist statement to a citizen is completely unacceptable and never acceptable – regardless of what may have happened in the specific situation,” said police chief Bernd Paul according to the message. The case is “completely and consistently cleared up”. The criminal investigations and, according to the Presidency, the official examination that was also initiated immediately, are ongoing.