Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A week after losing his temper and dropping an f-bomb on an audience member, Ald. Shawn Gregory (pictured, left) Tuesday wanted to make amends.

“I want to offer an apology for interrupting last week’s meeting,” Gregory said to open Tuesday’s meeting. “Certainly, I have been here for some time, and I know how important it is on how we communicate.”

Former police chief Michael Walton last week used his public comment time to rail against the council and afterward allegedly called Gregory the n-word. The meeting immediately slid into chaos before Mayor Misty Buscher abruptly adjourned the meeting.

After apologizing, Gregory offered some insight into what it is like being a Black man in Springfield in 2026. “At times, the picture is painted that everything is fine. But it’s not fine. We really have a lot of work to do with racial tensions in this city. We really, really, really do.”

Gregory added that he received an e-mail calling him a “dirty effing monkey.”