Police Department Apologizes For Sharing Anti-George Floyd Post

FALL RIVER, MA. — The Fall River Police Department apologized Wednesday after it inadvertently shared and then deleted a Facebook post that appeared to be critical of George Floyd.

The post showed up on the department's official page hours after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday in the murder of Floyd, who was killed last May while in police custody.

"Chauvin immediately stood and calmly placed his hands behind his back," the deleted post read, according to The Herald News. "Imagine where we'd be if George had done the same."

In its apology, the department said a police officer meant to share the post on their personal account and not the agency's, adding that the department remains committed to “toward transparency and building relationships” within the community.

“It is with regret that the Fall River Police Department's Facebook page was accessed by personnel who inadvertently re-posted an opinion that was meant for their own personal account,” the department said. “The posting in no way represents the opinion of the Chief of Police or the Fall River Police Department.”

The officer who shared the post was among only a handful of people in the department with access to its Facebook page, according to a statement from Police Chief Jeffrey Cardoza. The incident is being investigated, and the officer may face discipline, the chief said.

“Today's posting in no way reflects the beliefs of this organization. I am personally disappointed these attitudes exist,” Cardoza said.

Law enforcement agencies being in hot water for sharing opinions about Floyd is not unique to Fall River, according to The Washington Post. An officer in Missouri was suspended after ridiculing Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe as Chauvin kneeled on his neck, and an officer in Michigan resigned after sharing a racist meme that compared Floyd to a floor mat.

Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said the incident was "unacceptable" and has no place in the department, according to The Herald News. He said there are still officers who carry "lingering opinions" like the one shared in the post and that more work needs to be done to change the department's culture.

“While I am saddened by the harm that the statement has caused,” he said, “it has reminded us of the hard work we have yet to do to create transparent, strong relationships between the FRPD and our community.”