The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights has requested an investigation of the Providence Police Department in Webster County.
The Courier Journal reports the human rights commission has received complaints from residents about racial profiling and harassment by police.
One concern of the commission is that Providence Mayor Eddie Gooch allegedly told someone wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt that the organization is “racist.” The incident occurred at a city council meeting. The mayor reportedly told the person wearing the shirt not to wear it again in council chambers and that, “All lives matter.”
Some residents reported their concerns about harassment to the Providence City Council last month.
The state human rights commission has asked the U.S. Department of Justice for the Western District of Kentucky to investigate.