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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors say they're dropping cases connected to four Fort Lauderdale police officers who lost their jobs following an investigation into a racist video and text messages.
The Broward State Attorney's Office reported Thursday that they had already dropped 12 felony cases, 19 criminal misdemeanor cases and one juvenile case involving one or more of the officers. The South Florida Sun Sentinel (http://goo.gl/rDnCQS) reports that nearly 20 more dismissals expected.
Officials say 22-year-old Alex Alvarez resigned, while 30-year-old James Wells, 31-year-old Jason Holding and 25-year-old Christopher Sousa were fired.
The investigation began after a woman filed a complaint in October. The video included a doctored image of President Barack Obama wearing gold teeth, images of a Ku Klux Klan hood and a police dog attacking a black man.
A spokesman for the state attorney's office says all of the dropped cases involve black defendants.
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