The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating a complaint that a staff member posted a Valentine’s Day-style image of George Floyd with the caption: “You take my breath away.”
In a statement provided to BuzzFeed News on Sunday, an LAPD spokesman said the department was “aware of the post” and that “a personal complaint has been initiated”. Citing the personal issue, they declined to comment further and did not describe the content of the post.
According to a screenshot of an email apparently sent to LAPD officials by Captain Jay Mastick, “the post shows a photo of George Floyd, with the caption ‘you take my breath away’ in Valentine’s Day format”. The screenshot was posted by local activist Jasmyne Cannick, and the Los Angeles Times also confirmed the content of the post on Saturday, adding that it was being “forwarded” by department officials.
According to the Times, LAPD chief Michel Moore said the officer who denounced the image was scheduled to be interviewed on Monday to help the department determine who might be involved.
“Our investigation aims to determine the accuracy of the allegations and, at the same time, reinforce our zero tolerance for anything with racist views,” Moore told the Times.
The department tweeted on Saturday night that there were allegations that the post was authored by an employee, but that employees have not yet “identified any actual postings at the workplace” or confirmed that it was created by an LAPD member.
Floyd, whose death at the hands of the Minneapolis police during the summer sparked mass protests against police brutality, told police that he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times before he passed out and died when they pinned him to the floor with a choke on his knee.
According to the email screenshot, police supervisors were instructed to “reinforce the need for professionalism in our online behavior, as it is a reflection of all Los Angeles police officers”.
“Messages with inappropriate content can also result in discipline,” read the message.
Mastick did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News’s request for comment.