GOTTA BE KITTEN
Filter flub makes Canada cop a cat
Well this was a p.r. cat-astrophe! A Canadian cop was left “feline” foolish when she live-streamed a press conference about a double murder — and a camera filter left her with comical cat’s ears and whiskers.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police planned serious updates on the brutal killings of American Chynna Noelle Deese, 24, and her Australian boyfriend, Lucas Robertson Fowler, 23, who were found shot dead on the side of a British Columbia highway last Monday.
But shocked viewers on Friday’s Facebook Live feed instead got to see spokeswoman Sgt. Janelle Shoihet with pink ears, a black nose and whiskers.
“Yes we are aware and addressing it,” the RCMP quickly admitted, blaming an “automatic setting” rather than a purr-petrator for the furry faux “paw.”
Proving they were not pussyfooting around, the force soon posted a new video of Shoihet giving updates on the major case — from a different angle and this time without filters.
“We do apologize that our backup social media feed had both audio and video filter challenges when it was started,” Shoihet said Sunday.
“Our effort to be available via a social-media platform did have technological challenges, which is a risk that can happen.
“It is unfortunate, but was by no means intentional. We are hopeful that the focus is on our efforts to seek public assistance in the double homicide and not on technological challenges.”
Her comments did not end the social-media teasing, however, with many users noting that such filters are not automatic settings.
“Are you going to fix that right meow?” joked one follower, Ben Beecher, on Twitter.
Not everyone saw the funny side, however — particularly because the subject matter was so gruesome. “Honestly, devastated families are watching these clowns beclown[sic] themselves; they’re reliant on them to solve the murders,” someone using the name Another’s Rhubarb tweeted.
“Wow how stupid and disrespectful to the deceased,” Ruby Jarvis wrote.