“The Department became aware of allegations that an image was being passed around the department and that image was in the workplace,” wrote the LAPD in its official report. “There are also allegations that the post with the image was authored by a department official. A personal complaint has been initiated and we are investigating each allegation, including an interview with the department member that caught our attention.”
The department said it did not identify “any actual postings in the workplace or identified that it was in fact the department employee who created the image”. It was not known how the image circulated or where it originated from.
“We do not know the source of this image, whether it was on social media, in an email or otherwise. It is not clear at the moment whether the image came from an original source outside the LAPD,” said Cap Stacy Spell CNN.
LAPD internal affairs officials said they would interview employees on Monday to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the posting, including when and where the person saw them and who is responsible, the official told CNN. It is not clear whether these interviews took place.
The Los Angeles County Public Prosecutor’s Office also announced that it will review the incident to “determine whether the integrity of any of our cases may have been compromised by biased police work,” prosecutor George Gascón said in a statement.
“The commemoration of the murder of a black man at the hands of the police demonstrates a profound lack of humanity. The Valentine’s Day simulation emphasizes the highly problematic and, frankly, racist perceptions that permeate the culture of law enforcement in relation to the communities we swear to. protect and serve, “Gascón said.
Floyd’s family said they were furious and devastated by the news of the image’s circulation and asked for the immediate resignation of the person responsible, according to lawyer Ben Crump.
“The Floyd family is understandably outraged. This is beyond an insult over an injury – it is an injury over death. The kind of callousness and cruelty within a person’s soul needed to do something like that is beyond comprehension – and is indicative of a much bigger problem within the LAPD culture. We demand that everyone involved be held responsible for their revolting behavior and that an apology be issued to the family immediately, “said Crump in a statement.
Activists also gathered outside an LAPD station on Monday to demand the resignation of police officers involved in sharing the message.
“Any LAPD mocking George Floyd’s death should be closed immediately,” Los Angeles activist Najee Ali told a news conference. “They don’t deserve to wear the LAPD uniform.”
The union representing LAPD officials also calls for those involved to be held accountable.
“The Los Angeles Police Protective League rejects this abominable image and anyone associated with its creation, dissemination or passive observation,” the union said in a statement. “If this image was created,” liked “or shared by an LAPD member, the Chief of Police must act quickly to hold these individuals to account. There must be zero tolerance for this behavior in our profession, and any police officer who feels the need to do part of any online group that engages, promotes and / or celebrates this type of activity must quickly rethink their career choice, because they clearly have no judgment or temperament to be a member of the law enforcement. “
Jon Passantino and Amir Vera of CNN contributed to this report.