Leominster officer investigated for Crawford slur

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (WHDH) -- A Leominster police officer is being investigated by his own department after he allegedly yelled a racial slur at Carl Crawford during a rehab game last week.

7News was told the officer has been with the Leominster Police Department for five years and has been assigned to a desk job until the investigation is over.

“Regardless of whether you’re the custodian or a baseball player, whoever you are, nobody needs to be treated that way,” said Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella.

Crawford was playing a rehab game in Manchester, New Hampshire when a fan used the slur while Crawford was up at the plate.

At the time, Crawford said he was disappointed.

“The guy was like, you know, unfortunately there’s a lot of that going on here so basically I guess I was supposed to just take it and go on and keep playing, so whatever. If that’s how they do things down there, I don’t want to be no part of that,” said Carl Crawford said.

Earlier this week the police department started getting tips that one of their own officers may be involved, according to the mayor. Once they figured out he was actually at the game, the city started to investigate.

“Nobody should be ridiculed for anything. It’s something that each one of us preaches every day to our kids. And so regardless of whose mouth it came from or how it was meant for or how it was interpreted or taken, we take seriously,” said Mayor Mazzarella.

The mayor said the officer is cooperating with the investigation and there are no prior complaints against him.

Once the investigation is complete the officer could either be suspended or even fired.