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LAPD Officers Allegedly Circulate Mock Valentine With George Floyd Image, Reading ‘You Take My Breath Away’
LAPD Headquarters in front of City Hall.
(
Chava Sanchez
/
LAist
)
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating an internal complaint that a mock valentine is being circulated among officers, showing an image of George Floyd with the words "You take my breath away."
LAPD posted to its Twitter account just past 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, acknowledging the incident:
The Department has become aware of allegations that an image was being passed around the department and this image was in the workplace. There are also allegations that the post with the image was authored by a department employee.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) February 14, 2021
The department went on to say that it has initiated a personnel complaint, although the posting has not been found “in the workplace” and, according to the department, there is no confirmation that the image was created by an LAPD employee.
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Floyd died last May after a police officer In Minneapolis knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. His death launched international protests about police brutality and systemic racism.
In L.A., interactions between protesters and law enforcement officers frequently became violent. KPCC/LAist reporters were injured and arrested while covering the protests.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the department has zero tolerance for behavior such as the current allegations.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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