EXCLUSIVE: How Mark Fuhrman Was Labeled 'Arrogant' and 'Inexperienced' By O.J. Simpson Lead Investigator — After Disgraced Detective Lied About Using 'N' Word on Witness Stand

The lead detective in the O.J. Simpson case once labeled fellow investigator Mark Fuhrman "arrogant" after he was caught lying during the "Trial of the Century," RadarOnline.com can reveal.

LAPD lead homicide detective Tom Lange, who retired in 1996, went off on Fuhrman in a previous interview, ripping apart the former cop.

When asked why prosecutor Marcia Clark put Fuhrman, who had been known for his wild behavior, on the witness stand, Lange claimed she had felt "compelled to do that. If she didn't, it would look as if we were trying to hide him. He was the one who found the glove, which caused the search warrant of O.J.'s Rockingham property."

Fuhrman was the first to discover the bloody glove in the Simpson murder case. However, while on the stand, Fuhrman's feet were held to the fire by defense attorneys, as he was accused of being a racist and lying on the stand, which possibly helped the jury acquit Simpson of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Witnesses had claimed that throughout the 1980s, Fuhrman frequently used the "n-word" to describe African Americans. While he denied the racist allegations under oath, taped interviews with Fuhrman in which he had used the word were revealed in court.

"Initially, none of us knew of the existence of the tape where Fuhrman repeatedly used the 'N' word," Lange recalled.

He continued, "When defense attorney F. Lee Bailey asked Fuhrman if he had used the 'N' word in the last number of years, everybody in the world knew he was being set up. If he had said that he used the word and regretted it as anyone would, that would have been the end of it."

According to Lange, Fuhrman denied using the racist term because he was "arrogant."

Lange explained, "He was the only one in the world who didn’t know that he was being set up by the defense. He was inexperienced in high-profile cases, but it was his arrogance."

The glove, which Fuhrman found at Simpson's home, was also, according to the defense, planted by Fuhrman to frame the NFL star.

After the scandal and Simpson's acquittal, Fuhrman would retire from the LAPD in 1995 and move to Idaho. He would spend his time writing true-crime books, working with Fox News as an analyst, and, according to sources, studying to be an electrician.

Fuhrman and his family attempted to stay out of the public eye as much as possible, but his name was thrust into the spotlight again following his death. The 74-year-old is believed to have passed away following a bout of "aggressive throat cancer."

Despite not seeing eye-to-eye, Lange told TMZ he was "shocked" and "very sorry" to hear about the ex-detective's death.