An LAPD officer will face an internal trial board over accusations he shared a social-media meme earlier this year that made light of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday that he had directed one officer to a Board of Rights -- an administrative trial that can lead to discipline or termination -- for allegedly sharing with a second LAPD employee the George Floyd "Valentine" meme that originated from a social media account outside the LAPD.
"That conduct will not be tolerated," Moore said.
Moore said there was no evidence the image was created or sent from an LAPD facility. Multiple officers who saw the image were interviewed, and the investigation was taken seriously, he said.
"I recognize how corrosive it is to the public trust," Moore said.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
An internal investigation began in February after the image began to circulate on Instagram and an officer reported it to a supervisor. The mock Valentine showed an image of George Floyd with the words, "You take my breath away."
The chief declined to identify the accused officer due to California's expansive secrecy rules governing police officer misconduct.
