The Vincent City Council voted to close the department and fire Police Chief James Srigley and Assistant Chief John L. Gross on Thursday during a heated meeting, AL.com reported. “We passed a resolution to pass an ordinance to disband the police department,” said Mayor James Lattimore. The move comes after city officials confirmed a racist text from an officer appeared on social media last week, the agency said. Assistant Chief John L. Gross fired after Vincent City Council meeting.Lemuel Goss/Facebook The unidentified officer allegedly texted: “What do you call a pregnant slave? … BOGO Buy one, get one free,” the report said. The town — which has a population of less than 2,000 — won’t be without any law enforcement as its county sheriff’s office has said it will step up to help. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said it condemns the officers and “stands with the City of Vincent in providing law enforcement emergency services to the citizens [of Vincent] at this time,” the agency said, citing a statement from the office. City officials reportedly confirmed that a police officer sent the text message.WBRC During Thursday’s meeting, City Councilman Corey Abrams said, “this has torn this community apart. It doesn’t matter what color we are, as long as we do it right by the people.”
