Mayor, police auditor and council pledge investigation after EPD officer's racist remarks surface; residents demand further accountability

Mayor Knudsen opened the meeting by condemning language captured in recently circulated body‑cam footage and called for a thorough review of policies, training and organizational culture. "This behavior has no place in public service or in our police department," the mayor said, adding the city supports a policy review, enhanced training and cultural change.

Independent Police Auditor Craig Renetzky told the council his office began an investigation after becoming aware of the video on May 9. Renetzky said he "immediately started the process to bring formal allegations" but that the officer resigned at 2:24 p.m. the same day, which prevents filing formal allegations against the former employee; he emphasized that the resignation "will not close out my investigation into the incident itself." He said his office has three priorities: identify any other EPD employees involved; analyze department‑level trends and recommend improvements; and solicit additional information from the public to assist the inquiry. "We are committed to ensuring that accountability is not only promised but felt in our community," Renetzky said.

Several council members urged additional steps. Councilor Keating thanked the auditor and the chief for prompt responses and called for expanded implicit bias training and revocation of any now‑resigned officer’s statewide certificate. Councilor Evans described long‑standing concerns about departmental culture and urged examination of hiring and screening practices.

During the public comment period, many speakers pressed the council for stronger remedies than a single resignation. Kevin Cronin said the chief "has failed to change the culture" and urged the council to "review Chris Skinner's tenure." Multiple speakers alleged EPD cooperates with federal immigration enforcement and criticized the city's use of Flock cameras; others recounted personal experiences of harassment and cited systemic failures in complaint handling. Some public commenters urged immediate termination of top leadership; others asked for expanded powers for the auditor and longer complaint windows.

The auditor's office requested community members provide any additional evidence or reports that could assist the review and confirmed anonymous reporting options. The auditor also noted his office has limited jurisdiction to matters involving EPD employees and cannot exercise oversight over other agencies.

What happens next: the auditor has prioritized the investigation, requested materials from EPD, and invited public submissions. The Eugene Police Department has submitted the matter to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. The council reiterated commitments to policy and training reviews and indicated further follow‑up will be reported to the body as the investigations proceed.