Student Report Sparks Cop Controversy

PHILADELPHIA - Some black Philadelphia police officers say a white colleague should be fired for allegedly making derogatory racial remarks to a student journalist.

An article written at Temple University says Officer William Thrasher used an obscene phrase with an epithet to describe petty altercations in black neighborhoods.

The 24-year-old officer also described some residents as "animals." But he denies being racist, saying bad people in the area "happen to be black."

Temple senior Shannon McDonald wrote the article for the university's Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab after a ride-along with Thrasher.

Some black officers are calling for Thrasher's dismissal, but police Lt. Frank Vanore questions McDonald's reporting. Her professor, who edited the article, stands by the story.