Former Golden Valley Police Chief speaks out: 'Racism still exists within the city'

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (FOX 9) - Virgil Green, the former police chief of Golden Valley, is speaking out after resigning from his position.  

'I did not feel supported'

What they're saying:

Amid allegations of pervasive racism within the department in 2022, former chief Virgil Green was hired to get things back on track in Golden Valley.

But he says that culture is still alive and well.

In an interview with FOX 9, Green says he did not feel supported during his time leading the Golden Valley Police Department. 

"If this city is all about equality and bringing more people of color into the workplace and once you get here, you see the toxic environment of what's going on...racism still exists within the city," said Green. 

Allegations against Virgil Green

What we know:

It's that lack of support Green believes was central in sparking the two investigations into allegations of misconduct that led to his resignation after four months on paid administrative leave.

"All of a sudden, to have this come out of the blue, has been extremely stressful," said Green. 

The first allegation involved Green improperly releasing body-worn camera footage involving an investigation at a local school, which Green maintains he was well within his legal rights to do so.

The next centers around his alleged interference with an internal police investigation.

"At no time did I intimidate anybody or tell anybody not to do things or not to talk to people," said Green. 

Green also points to interference by leadership at City Hall and a lack of communication as pervasive problems he dealt with during his time leading the department.

The backstory:

Before Green was hired, interim chief Scott Nadeau resigned and sued the city, winning a $160,000 settlement. More than half the city's police officers left the department after Green arrived.

Now, he's leaving amid more controversy as the city is just six officers shy of being fully-staffed.

"When you hire a police chief and it's somebody who has the experience to lead a police department, you let that person lead the police department," said Green. 

Green says he does not plan on suing the city and plans on continuing his career as a police chief outside of the state of Minnesota. 

The other side:

The City of Golden Valley denied FOX 9's request for an interview, instead pointing to a statement they issued last week where they thanked Green for everything he did during his time here.

Their full comments can be found here.