Cincinnati's police chief has suspended a second officer for using what the chief called "the 'N' word" while on duty.

This time, however, it was a black officer. He had been reprimanded, but now Chief Eliot Isaac says the previous investigation wasn't done right.

The September incident involved Officer Donte Hill. It came to the chief's attention after Isaac suspended Officer Dennis Barnette – who is white – for using what Isaac called "the 'N' word" during an arrest Saturday night outside the Brownstone Cafe in Cincinnati's Roselawn neighborhood.

Body cameras recorded the racial slurs in both incidents, Isaac told city officials in an email.

City Manager Patrick Duhaney shared the email with the Enquirer and provided his email response after being asked about it. He did not provide additional comment.

'Unacceptable' language

When Barnette's case came to light Wednesday, several council members called for him to be fired. An internal investigation has been opened.

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Part of that investigation was looking at discipline in other cases where the word was used, bringing the Hill case to Isaac's attention.

"Again this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated inside the department," Isaac wrote in an email Friday to the mayor and city council members.

The investigations are being done under administrative regulations that say city employees cannot say, do or use language that is offensive to another person. The regulation allows for a wide range of punishment, including termination.

Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said officers routinely hear the slur used on the street.

"Although we hear it often...there is no place for it in a professional capacity," Hils said.

NAACP Cincinnati Chapter President Robert Richardson Sr. said using that word is "unacceptable period. And especially so when operating under the cover of the law when performing your duty as a police officer."

"What must the (citizens) think?" he added.

City manager Duhaney, in his email, explained Hill was only reprimanded because the matter was incorrectly categorized when presented to Isaac.

"Both Chief Isaac and I deem this type of language as unacceptable not in line with the standard of conduct we expect from city employees," he wrote.

Council members react

Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman, chairman of council's Law and Public Safety Committee, said: "The use of the N-word is unacceptable by any city employee or city official and all incidents must be treated the same. The policy must be zero tolerance."

Councilman Chris Seelbach agreed it is "deeply inappropriate" for any city employee to use the slur.

"There is obviously some real work that needs to be done inside our department and I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues and the community on what these reforms look like," he tweeted.

What's next for the suspended officer

Hill's police powers have been suspended and he was placed on desk duty pending an investigation.

In Hill's case, on Sept. 26, he responded to McHenry Avenue in Cincinnati's Westwood neighborhood for a family trouble call. During the incident, Isaac said, Hill used "excessive profane language and also utilized a racial slur (the “N” word) when addressing the individuals involved."

It was never brought to the internal investigations section. Instead, it was handled by Hill's supervisor, who recommended a written reprimand.

Isaac agreed at the time, but said he was not given all the facts.

"It was brought my attention yesterday .... that Officer Hill’s conduct was as egregious as Officer Barnette’s and that I needed to view the Body Worn Camera footage," Isaac wrote in his email. "After viewing the footage, I agreed and determined the ... violation was not appropriate."

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