The LAPD states that “The Department will have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.”
The Los Angeles Police Department announced that it is investigating reports that its officers had circulated a Valentine’s Day image that mocked George Floyd’s death.
The post allegedly had Floyd’s face and the caption “You take my breath away,” according to an LAPD spokesman. On a series of tweets On Sunday, the LAPD said it was aware of the image denounced and the charges that it was authorized by “an employee of the department”.
“A staff complaint has been initiated and we are investigating each allegation, including an interview with the department member who caught our attention,” the department tweeted.
The LAPD said it did not identify the actual posts or whether it was created by one of its employees until Sunday, but asked directors to search their workplaces for more information.
“If any employee or supervisor is found, he is instructed to take over and identify those present. The Department will have zero tolerance for this type of behavior, ”said the LAPD in a note.
Floyd was killed on Memorial Day 2020 after Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, handcuffed to Floyd, put him face down on the street and put his knee on his neck for several minutes during an arrest.
Several cameras filmed the incident and showed Floyd shouting, “I can’t breathe”, before he was lifeless.
Floyd’s death rekindled calls for police reform and racial justice and sparked thousands of protests across the country over the summer.
Chauvin was fired from the police force and charged with second-degree murder and wrongful death in Floyd’s death. His trial is scheduled to begin next month.
Three other officers involved in the incident, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, were also fired. They have been accused of helping and encouraging second-degree murder and manslaughter, and their joint trial is scheduled for the summer.