Ultimately, Fitch said his internal affairs investigators determined that Hayes violated department policies when using “inappropriate racial references,” while issuing the orders, but that no officers followed his commands. He has vowed to enlist the help of an independent research consortium to ensure his officers are impartial on duty.

“I’m very disappointed,” Fitch said. “This appears to be an anomaly and it’s not our normal way of doing business and that’s why we took the action we took.”

Hayes, through his attorney, declined to be interviewed Monday. But Bruntrager called the county’s internal investigation “flawed,” and vowed to appeal Fitch’s decision to the Board of Police Commissioners.

Bruntrager said the four officers who lodged the allegations against Hayes accused him of making statements such as “Let’s have a black day,” and “Let’s make the jail cells more colorful,” because they were mad that Hayes had taken away their take-home patrol cars and transferred them or their friends.

“He was sent there specifically to clean up the problems in the precinct, like poor productivity,” Bruntrager said. “They say he made these statements during roll call, so why would you expose yourself or make yourself vulnerable in front of these people?