But the racist and profanity-laced tirade wasn't enough for the court to hand down a more stern punishment. Instead, the judge showed compassion, passing a motion to allow the ex-sheriff to get paid for the rest of the month while he is out of a job.

The love affair in the court continued when Wright's friend, Bobby Webb, gently begged the disgraced sheriff to resign.

“I’ve known you all my life. You need to take that badge and you need to lay it on that table and you need to walk out of here," Webb said. "You know I love you."

The sobbing former law enforcement officer then announced his resignation in the court.

According to USA Today, the woman who was being verbally abused in the audio clip is Desiree Middlebrooks, the mother of Wright's child. The audio went viral after Middlebrooks secretly recorded the conversation.

When Wright appeared in court, he blamed the incident on the devil. He also directed his anger towards Middlebrooks, saying she made him miss the funeral of his friend, who was Black. The former sheriff then applied the usual deflection method to prove he's not racist, saying he has Black friends.

“I’m a Christian man. I read my Bible everyday,” he said. “I am by no means a racist. That video does not show the true picture of me.”

Arkansas County Judge Eddie Best said the court didn't have the authority to fire Wright, but it could only ask him to resign. When the public addressed the court, one woman said Wright was talking about her nephew during the racist tantrum.

“The guy he was speaking of, that’s my nephew,” Betty Wofford said. “He wouldn’t come here today. He doesn’t like this kind of stuff, but he’s hurt.”

Wofford said she doesn't believe Wright is remorseful at all.

“I don’t believe anything you just said. You have to say this stuff because you want to keep your job,” she said. "I don’t feel that was right for you to call him out of his name like that. I do wish that you would resign or get fired.”

Activist Jackie Smith said she traveled a long way to condemn the former officer.

“I traveled a long ways to let you know Todd, it’s unacceptable,” she said. “You wonder why we riot. You wonder why we loot – because you’re teaching us what hate is. That is not what we want to do. We want your resignation today.”

Arkansas County Attorney Furonda Brasfield said Wright is part of a bigger issue in the county.

“Mr. Wright, you need to resign today, but beyond that, the policing in this county has to be totally changed,” Brasfield said. “If the head is poisonous, you have to look at the whole body.”

DeWitt, Arkansas

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