An African-American police officer in the Warrensville Police Department in Ohio has spoken out after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
“If you are white and you’re working in a black community and you are racist, you need to be ashamed of yourself,” she said. “You stood up there and took an oath. If this is not where you want to work, then you need to take your behind somewhere else.”
"It bothers me when I hear people say, ‘Y’all police officers this, y’all police officers that. They put us in this negative category when I’m saying to myself, ‘I’m not that type of police officer.’ I know officers that are like me that would give their life for other people,” Jones said in the video.
Jones, who said she was the first black female officer in Warrensville Heights, said that in 1996 she "became a police officer to make a difference in people’s lives."
She also challenged the black community to come together, to strive to be better and to stand up for their rights.
"Put these guns down because we’re killing each other,” she said. “And the reason why all this racist stuff keeps going on is because we’re divided. We’re killing each other, not standing together.”
Jones ended the video in tears.
"These are my thoughts," she said. "God bless."
During a Facebook Live interview with local reporters Thursday, Jones said she could not comment on her meeting early that day with the chief of police following her Facebook post.
Jones also couldn't comment on when she'll be back to work, but said what's next for her is to "go home and be with my family. I hope this makes a difference."
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