ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando's police chief is asking for peace in a battle over race between his department and a city commissioner. Commissioner Daisy Lynum and some other black elected officials called for Chief Mike McCoy's resignation after a controversy over racial profiling.

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MCCOY'S LETTERS TO LYNUM: #1 | #2 (PDF files)
STATEMENT: Lieutenants Union On Call For Resignation

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Channel 9 talked to members of the Black Caucus of Central Florida on Thursday and several of them said they had been racially profiled in the past. They drafted a letter calling for Chief Mike McCoy's resignation, which was supposed to be delivered to the mayor's office Friday.

That letter was not delivered Friday, despite a formal vote. Now they seem to be divided and that letter is in limbo.

Late Friday morning, the chief said he would not resign. McCoy said the back and forth comments with Lynum need to stop now.

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McCoy wrote her a new letter Friday morning, saying he never intended to reprimand her; he simply wanted her to know that her comments had hurt his officers.

Chief McCoy walked into his news conference Friday and was greeted by a rousing ovation from his sworn officers and civilian employees. They know he was defending their honor when he wrote the letter to Lynum after she referred to officers as "white boys" who might use a stun gun or shoot her son during a traffic stop.

"It had an impact on all of the department. I don't know if she understood how big of an impact. You saw the room. I was absolutely taken back," McCoy said.

He said he does not owe the commissioner an apology, nor does he demand one from her. He simply wants the city to move past the debate. Earlier this week, Lynum told Eyewitness News her comments were not racist.

"Do you wish you'd chosen different words?" Eyewitness News reporter Jodie Fleischer asked Lynum.

"Absolutely not. I call them boys when I ask 'em to do other things. I think it's a common vernacular and I would say it again," she replied.

The chief said he can't believe this all started over a broken headlight, the real reason Lynum's son was pulled over last month. He said his department takes all racial profiling complaints extremely seriously and that it's time to move forward.

"Folks, we gotta let this one lie. I think everybody, the commissioner, I've sent her two letters. I have no animosity toward her. I certainly didn't mean to reprimand her. I like Daisy Lynum. She's been a great supporter part of this city for so many years," McCoy said.

Commissioner Lynum said she is organizing a public forum to discuss racial profiling on June 28 at 7pm at the New Covenant Baptist Church in Orlando.

Chief McCoy urged anyone who feels like they were racially profiled to file a complaint. He said they are taken very seriously.