Cop at traffic stop: 'We only shoot black people'

An officer has created public outrage after making "inappropriate racial comments" during a routine traffic stop.

Footage emerged of a female driver getting pulled over during a DUI traffic stop telling the officer she was scared to move her hands because she's "seen way too many videos of cops".

Georgia Officer Greg Abbott is then filmed talking over the lady, trying to reassure her of her safety by saying "But you're not black. Remember, we only shoot black people.

"Yeah, we only kill black people, right?

"All the videos you've seen, have you seen the black people get killed?"

Abbott has been placed on desk duty while an internal investigation is ongoing.

Police Chief Mike Register, who was not chief at the time of the incident, claims he didn't know about the encounter until WSB-TV asked about it.

"[Abbott's] comments must be observed in their totality to understand their context," a lawyer representing the officer said in a statement. "He was attempting to de-escalate a situation involving an unco-operative passenger. In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger's own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest."

"No matter what context it was said, it shouldn't have been said," Register said.