FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Former Fort Lauderdale police officer Jason Holding testified Tuesday during his arbitration hearing in hopes of getting his job back.
Jason Holding and two other officers were fired after an internal affairs investigation found that the officers had exchanged racist text messages. A fourth officer resigned.
During the hearing, Holding spoke about one of the statements, claiming that it was an old saying from a sergeant at the police department.
"He was a sergeant at the time and there was just a joke that he … I'm kind of kicking on myself about he'd show up and revoke my license," Holding said.
According to Fort Lauderdale police, another officer's ex-fiancee brought forth a video that Officer Alex Alvarez allegedly made and said that she had seen racist text messages sent between Alvarez, Holding and two other officers.
Former police officer James Wells was the first to go the arbitration process. He did not get his job back.