Wolfeboro Commissioner Resigns After Obama Slur

The Wolfeboro police commissioner who used the "n word" in reference to President Obama has verbally told the police chief and town he has resigned.

Robert Copeland has yet to submit a written resignation, which Wolfeboro Town Manager David Owen is looking forward to seeing to begin to put the controversy behind the town.

"We'll be very happy to get this into our past," Owen said in a phone interview with Patch. "Unfortunately, I think the town's image and our brand may have been tarred a little over this."

Owen said he received two calls, one from the police chief and the other from the chairman of the police commission, informing him that Copeland had resigned.

Copeland, 82, had refused to resign and apologize after acknowledging he made the remark at a local restaurant. The town and the state have received complaints from around the country over the past week, with some would-be visitors saying they would cancel vacations or trips to the state because of the slur.

Wolfeboro's Police Chief, Stuart Chase, had distanced himself from Copeland. The police chief said the commissioner, an elected position, does not in any way reflect the Wolfeboro Police Department.

The town is home to the vacation estate of former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who has come out and condemned the remarks.

Former Congressman Jeb Bradley, now a state Senate Majority Leader, is from Wolfeboro, and he also called on Copeland to apologize and resign.

Police commissioners appoint police personnel, "including police officers, staff, constables and superior officers, as they deem necessary and to fix such persons' compensation," according to the commission's website. "The commissioners shall make and enforce all rules necessary for the operation of the police force in the manner most beneficial to the public interest. The commissioners may at any time remove police personnel for just cause and after a hearing satisfying the requirements of due process, which cause shall be specified in an order of removal except that special police officers appointed and designated as such shall serve at the pleasure of the commission and may be removed for other than just cause."