In this screen still taken from a video posted to Tim Lewis' YouTube account, an EPD officer drives around the protests on January 30, 2026. Profane and racist references are heard in the video, between the officer and another person over a cellphone.
Tim Lewis' YouTube account
A Eugene Police Officer has resigned and the city’s independent police auditor has vowed an investigation, after EPD bodycam footage emerged online Saturday that contained profane and racist language.
The roughly four-minute edited clip is from Jan. 30, 2026 during the protests against ICE operations at the Eugene federal building. It appears to show an EPD officer talking to another on a cellphone, while driving around the facility.
The conversation includes remarks about protesters lacking jobs and not giving “a shit about illegal aliens,” then casually shifts to incidents of domestic violence and abusive coworkers. Near the end of the clip, offensive stereotypical references about Black people are made.
In a release, Eugene Independent Police Auditor Craig Renetzky said the comments were “highly offensive, racist in nature, and simply disgusting.” He said before he could initiate a complaint and allegation of misconduct, he was notified that the officer in question had resigned. The officer has not been publicly identified.
Renetzky said action from his office could only be taken against current EPD employees, though he would investigate further into the video to ensure no other EPD personnel had made the offensive and racist remarks.
In a separate release, EPD Chief Chris Skinner said the comments were “wrong, disrespectful, and completely inconsistent with the values of the Eugene Police Department.” He said when an officer “speaks with hate or prejudice, it damages the trust” the EPD works hard to build with the community.
The video was posted to the YouTube account of Tim Lewis, who posts occasional videos relating to Eugene-area topics, including law enforcement, environmental issues and homelessness. A description of the video included a promise that a longer, 23-minute clip would be shared in the next few days.
Brian Bull is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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