A San Jose police officer has been fired after sending a series of racially biased and "disgusting" text messages, announced San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata. The officer, Mark McNamara, had been with the department for six years and was involved in an officer-involved shooting in March 2022. The offensive messages, which included derogatory language and racial slurs, were discovered during an unrelated investigation into the shooting of a 20-year-old college student. McNamara's messages included statements such as "I hate Black people" and multiple variations of the n-word.

The discovery of the messages prompted an immediate investigation, during which it was determined that another employee had engaged in concerning dialogue with McNamara. That employee has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. According to Chief Mata, there is zero tolerance for racial bias within the San Jose Police Department and immediate action will be taken against any employee who displays such behavior. Mata stated that he is proud of the 99.9% of officers who demonstrate dedication and commitment to the community and will not let the actions of a few officers overshadow their hard work. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan expressed his relief that McNamara is no longer on the force and emphasized the importance of maintaining respect for every resident within the police department.