Ted Galatis, a city commissioner in Florida, has apologized for using the "N" word during a road rage encounter with another driver last week, but insisted he will not resign from his nonpartisan position.
Galatis, Wilton Manors City Commissioner, says he used the racial slur in the heat of the moment when confronting an African-American driver who allegedly followed him honking all the way home from a trip to Publix June 1.
The 52-year-old claims that the occupants of the vehicle launched their own racially charged verbal attack on him, saying "What's your problem, white boy?"
Galatis' wife, Donna, told NBC Miami that one of the car's occupants even told her, "white b****, I’ll slice you up."
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"[Driver] stated that T Galatis began calling her and her passengers 'N*****' and at that point she requested for police to respond,"
reads the police report obtained by the Broward-Palm Beach New Times. "[Driver] stated that she was upset that T Galatis called her and the passengers of her vehicle 'N*****' and did not want him to get away with it."
Lotoya Marie Pinkney, the driver of the other vehicle, told the New Times that she wasn't even the one originally honking and following Galatis. She told police she was behind that car, and only beeped her horn when Galatis stopped short after the other car turned off.
No charges were filed in the incident and Galatis later issued a public apology.
"I may have used the 'N' word while trying to protect myself from the immediate threat," Galatis said in a statement. "I apologize for my use of the 'N' word. It is something I never say. I offer no excuse, other than it was uttered when I was being threatened in front of my own home."
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