PHOENIX - An Arizona journalist who has made his career bucking the mainstream media is under fire today for using a racial slur. His critics are calling it "hateful speech" and want an apology.

Michael Lacey made headlines after deputies arrested him last year for violating grand jury secrecy. 

County Attorney voices his opinion on speech

azfamily.com

VIDEO: Controversial remarks
RAW: New Times co-owner's speech (GRAPHIC)

The charges were soon dropped and Lacey and his Phoenix New Times paper were hailed for courageous journalism. But today, he's being labeled differently. 

It was a night in honor of journalism's best, including the late East Valley Tribune sportswriter Bob Moran. 

Shortly after Moran's 82-year old mother accepted his recognition award, the tone changed in one speech as Lacey, the co-owner of Village Voice media and the Phoenix New Times, accepted his award.

“And it brought me back to our guest speaker who was speaking about Tom Fitzpatrick, who, if you don't mind the expression was my **** . Man, Tom and I went back,” Lacey said.

Lacey was being honored for his work which includes countless stories on Maricopa County leaders. County Attorney Andrew Thomas criticized Lacey's comments at a news conference yesterday. 

“This should be the Don Imus moment for Arizona's media,” Thomas said. “You have a guy who says a racial slur at a journalists' dinner that was celebrating the life of an African American journalist and he thinks it's a joke, and he thinks he can get away with it.”

We called the New Times this morning to get a comment from Lacey and left a message. They have not gotten back to us.

We want to point out that the New Times has threatened a lawsuit against the County Attorney for what the paper calls a "malicious and unwarranted arrests."