Comedy Central to Explore Racism and Excessive Force with ‘Police Roast’

Comedy Central has ordered a new one-hour special “roast” of police officers that will explore law enforcement’s alleged use of excessive force and racial profiling, and examine the risks police take every day to keep communities safe. The special will be hosted by “America’s Roastmaster General” and progressive Democrat Jeff Ross.

In Jeff Ross Roasts the Police, the 50-year-old comedian will explore “burning national issues and ride along in the hottest seat in town” as he uses his unique brand of insult comedy to rib police officers.

Here’s the new special’s official synopsis from Comedy Central:

“This special finds Jeff looking at the complicated national issues surrounding policing; from race, profiling and excessive force to the risks officers take every day and the effect that police work has on their lives, families and health. To understand what it means to be a cop in America today, Ross steps behind the thin blue line for a ride-along/Roast-along with a cross section of officers from a major, metropolitan police force. Along the way, Jeff meets with perps, anti-police activists, newly-minted cadets and seasoned top brass.”

A premiere date for the special has not yet been announced.

The police-oriented program follows last year’s Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live at the Brazos County Jail special from last year, in which the comedian “roasted” inmates at the Texas jail.

Ross has made a name for himself in recent years as the lead “roaster” on Comedy Central’s popular series, having roasted everyone from Justin Bieber and David Hasselhoff to Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump. He’s also the star of his own Comedy Central show called The Burn with Jeff Ross, which has run for two seasons thus far.

As is his style, Ross has courted controversy with some of his jokes in recent years. In a promo for his show from 2012, Ross posted a meme saying he was “glad” that actor Charlton Heston died. At the roast of Roseanne Barr that year, Ross made a controversial joke about the Aurora movie theater massacre that was subsequently cut from Comedy Central’s broadcast.

In 2011, Ross performed a roughly 15-minute “roast” of big banks and Wall Street in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street protestors in Los Angeles.

“We might all be here for different reasons, but we have one thing in common. We’re angry, right? We’re angry because the banks are getting bailed out. We’re angry because the elections are being bought out. And we’re angry because Michelle Bachman’s husband won’t come out,” he joked then in his typical roast style.

Comedy Central has also ordered a roast competition special from Ross titled Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle that the network describes as a kind of “Thunderdome” of insult comedy.