The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department found itself in hot water on Sunday after issuing, amending, then deleting a social media message expressing condolences for the “tragic” U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday.
The post, issued on behalf of Sheriff Robert Luna and his office, said that “[our] hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran,” while noting the Sheriff’s office was monitoring the situation for impacts in the Southland.
Driving the news: The post caught significant flack online, with particular derision from accounts with ties to Israel, a key combatant in the ongoing battle with Iran.
- “We sincerely hope your account was hacked,” a post from Stop Antisemitism, which works to expose groups and individuals that espouse incitement towards Jewish people and those who engage in antisemitic behavior, read on X. “There were no victims in last night’s successful targeting of Iran’s nuclear sites. Please verify this post was not posted by an employee of the LA County Sheriff’s HQ.”
- “This is what happens when you have a puppet [LA County Sheriff] in office,” wrote Luna’s predecessor, former Sheriff Alex Villanueva on X. “Only a woke fool could come up with this.”
What they’re saying: Sunday night, the Department issued a statement apologizing for the “offensive and inappropriate social media post.”
- “This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department. As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities,” the agency said in a statement.
- The department announced it was conducting an internal review to assess how the post was created and disseminated.
