Sheriff Newell Normand is firing back at the people who have criticized him for the way he's handling the Joe McKnight shooting investigation ... and just read OUT LOUD some of the hateful comments he and other leaders have received, including the n-word and the f-word.
Sheriff Normand says he and other leaders have received letters using various racial and homophobic slurs. He did not water down the language.
When asked why he decided to read the hateful language out loud, Normand says he wanted to show people how "crazy" things have gotten ... where people are getting harassed for doing their jobs.
The conversation turned racial and Normand says black people are more likely to be killed by black people in his community.