More cases dismissed involving former SJPD officer caught in racist, homophobic texting scandal
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has dismissed more cases that involved a former San Jose police officer involved in a racist and homophobic text message scandal.
Former officer Mark McNamara resigned in November after an internal investigation uncovered the text messages. Some of them included racist remarks about a Black man he shot and injured outside a taquería in March 2022.
The D.A.'s office told the public defender it flagged 54 cases where it filed charges where McNamara was involved. 13 cases where he is involved have already been dismissed.
This week, the D.A.'s office said it dismissed five additional cases.
McNamara has been temporarily suspended from being re-hired as a police officer in California, pending further investigation.
Santa Clara County's public defender, who was involved in many of the cases reviewed, welcomes the dismissal of some of the cases, calling it a positive step. However, the public defender is calling for all cases involving McNamara to be dismissed.
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