A police officer in Miami, who has been accused of racism and brutality against black citizens, is now claiming that he, himself is black, according to the Miami New Times.
“Well, I learned that there are people in my family that are mixed and that are black,” Ortiz said in front of a Miami City Commission held regarding alleged acts of racism against black employees at the Miami Police Department on January 17th.
Ortiz did admit that he wasn’t claiming equal blackness: “Oh, no, you’re blacker than me—that’s obvious,” Ortiz said. “And if you know anything about the one-drop rule, which started in the 20th Century, which is what identifies and defines what a black male is, or a Negro, you would know that if you have one drop of black in you, you’re considered black.”
Ortiz eventually went as far as to claim he was part Jewish as well.
Commissioner Joe Carollo responded to the room saying, "Mr. Ortiz claimed that he was, uh, black — now I hear he's Jewish-black. I'm afraid maybe next month he'd be a black Jewish woman. I don't know."
According to the Miami New Times, Ortiz once said 12-year-old Tamir Rice deserved to be killed by cops because he was acting like a "thug."
