Racist flier causes candidate to drop out

RICHMOND, CA (KGO) -- A candidate for Richmond's City Council says he's dropping out of the race and resigning his seat on the police commission. It all stems from a controversial flyer endorsing him, which he says he had nothing to do with.

In a city where illegal immigration is a sensitive issue critics called it a "racist scare tactic" used to support Richmond City Council candidate Chris Tallerico's pro law enforcement stance.

"I learned about it just like everybody else did, after it was produced," said Chris Tallerico.

In the mailer sent out by the Richmond Police Officer's Association, an arrow from Mexico to Richmond, illustrates crime caused by Mexican drug dealers. It refers to "headless bodies" and "orgies of violence" which set off a firestorm at Tuesday night's council meeting.

"When that happens it's racism unless everybody stands up and says, 'We will not permit it, and that's what we want to see the council do,'" said a resident at the city council meeting.

The council denounced it and so did Tallerico who had no control over the flyer. He says there were threats.

"People would shout out the word 'racist' in between my sentences. It absolutely destroyed me," said Chris Tallerico. "I just couldn't put up with it anymore, so I decided to withdraw from the council race."

A coalition, Richmond Community United for Peace, demanded an investigation of the president and vice president of the Police Officers Association. Tallerico is a member of the police commission and Wednesday night, the chair opened a formal investigation into allegations of racism.

"It's a radical attitude, and they will push, and push, and push, as long as they can," said Nat Bates, a Richmond city council member.

Bates was also endorsed on the flyer without his knowledge and while he voted to denounce it, he says drug related crime is imported from Mexico.

"And that's true, that's a fact. Well there were objections to that, they said that was racial, but I didn't see it that way," said Bates.

Bates who has been a council member for nearly 30 years says you need thick skin to survive in this town. The coalition demanded that Tallerico also step down from his position on the police commission.

"I had been the same stance that I'm not going to back down, but I can't take it anymore. And I've decided to resign my police commission status at the next meeting," said Chris Tallerico.

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