Councillor apologizes after facing police backlash
A Calgary city councillor has issued a public apology after posting to social media that “rage” experienced on the job as a police officer could result in the under-reporting of domestic incidents occurring within their personal relationships.
Inner-city Coun. Druh Farrell tweeted her thoughts on Wednesday as impassioned protests continued across the United States after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes in Minnesota.
Some demonstrations across the U.S. have become violent, with police officers using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets on protesters speaking out against police brutality and racism.
“After watching multiple videos of the horrendous police violence against POC (People of Colour), I can’t help wondering about domestic abuse within law enforcement families,” she wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “There’s some sick rage there. I would bet it goes home with them and the outcome goes largely unreported.”
A subsequent tweet makes clear the councillor is speaking about the “horrific images of police brutality” coming from the States, saying their police force is more militarized there than it is in Canada.
Farrell faced backlash from the local policing community and has since issued an apology.
On Thursday, she wrote that many Calgary police officers and their partners had reached out to share their disappointment in her statement.
“I was wrong. I apologize unequivocally to them, and to everyone,” wrote Farrell on Twitter, adding she had spoken with police Chief Mark Neufeld and Bonita Croft, who chairs the Calgary police commission, to apologize.
“I want to thank them for taking the time to speak with me and for the productive discussion,” she said.
“I am committed to working with the Calgary Police Commission to constructively address the challenges that police services face in the 21st century. I am incredibly sorry that I did not demonstrate this commitment in my tweet and that I hurt people as a result.”