KDFW is getting some heat on Twitter for a headline, which has since been changed, about the victim of a police officer shooting.
The Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth station tweeted an update in the deadly shooting of Bothman Jean by a police officer with the headline: “DEVELOPING: Search warrant: Marijuana found in Botham Jean’s apartment after deadly shooting.” This occurred the same day of Jean’s funeral.
DEVELOPING: Search warrant: Marijuana found in Botham Jean’s apartment after deadly shooting https://t.co/ISSGgxgt34 pic.twitter.com/iE6IsnNUUX
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) September 13, 2018
The social media backlash was fierce, as the tweet has more than 37,000 replies so far, with many of them echoing these responses:
Robin Whitmeyer, as @fox4 VP News do you agree with how your news team is handling this story? This tweet is still up 16 hrs later. Implies the victim is to blame for getting shot in his own apt. It appears cops may be trying to smear victim, yr team is taking the bait. @tvbossy
— stephanie smith (@SSmithNYC) September 14, 2018
marijuana in his apt is irrelevant. why don’t you investigate whether the shooter and the victim were in a relationship? why don’t you investigate the inconsistencies with the shooter’s account? why don’t you investigate why justice is tipping unjustly to the shooter’s defense?
— islandertmt (@islandertmt) September 14, 2018
The station has not commented, but the story’s headline has been changed. The new headline: “Lawyers ‘disgusted’ by release of search warrant showing marijuana found in Botham Jean’s apartment.”