PATRICK COUNTY, Va. – There’s national media attention on Patrick County this week after reports of racist comments allegedly made by a first responder on a white supremacist podcast.
Now, local leaders are calling for the EMT to be fired.
Alex McNabb is on unpaid leave with the JEB Stuart Volunteer Rescue Squad, as the Virginia Department of Health investigates his conduct.
Reports from CNN and the Huffington Post took excerpts from him on the white supremacist podcast The Daily Shoah, which he frequently co-hosts. He uses his real name on the show, but made the comments in question while in character.
He’s used multiple slurs for black people, and in this segment from October of 2016, he jokes about a mostly-black apartment complex where he frequently responds:
“The complex is noted for large groups of people from all over Africa and West Africa -- funny how they self-segregate. It’s jokingly referred to as ‘Ebola Alley’ by the crew that regularly works there -- so many sick people coming in and out of there.”
McNabb also told a story in which his character, Dr. Narcan, mistreated a black child while drawing blood
“Dr. Narcan enjoyed great, immense satisfaction as he terrorized this youngster with a needle and stabbed him thusly in the arm with a large-gauge IV catheter."
McNabb says the comments are a work of fiction, a comedy sketch, satire. He told the Huffington Post he doesn’t discriminate when working with patients
There’s no indication so far that McNabb mistreated anyone in his care. He didn’t comment to 10 News.
Patrick County Board of Supervisors Chairman Lock Boyce wants him fired.
“I’m absolutely disgusted and flabbergasted that, in the first place, this guy has been working in health care for a period of years,” he told 10 News. “This person has no place in health care delivery with those kind of views. It’s reprehensible.”
Boyce believes the comments are hate speech and the First Amendment doesn’t protect that. He said the whole issue is embarrassing for the county.
“It makes Patrick County look racist to the rest of the country, and that’s not true. I have gotten numerous contacts from citizens in this county who are as outraged as I am,” he said.
Boyce said he’ll introduce a motion to cut funding for the rescue squad at Monday night’s board meeting -- if it doesn’t fire McNabb.