A San Francisco Bay Area freelancer working for ABC owned station KGO, who was let go last week after sending out a tweet hoping police would use real bullets against protesters, has apologized.
Someone took a screen shot and tweeted out the tweet (lower right), along with KGO’s response:
Update on @producerlos: @abc7newsBayArea says he’s now no longer affiliated w/them. He also deleted his account. pic.twitter.com/HnXG3kzMPY
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— Kim Moore (@SoulRevision) May 24, 2015
Producer Carlos La Roche sent out the tweet in response to demonstrators protesting the acquittal of a Cleveland police officer accused in the shooting deaths of two unarmed people.
“In the past, I have been frustrated with the violence that has followed peaceful protests in the city of Oakland,” La Roche told The Desk, which first reported the story. “I have expressed my frustration by tweeting inflammatory things directed at those violent individuals. Those tweets were inexcusable and do not reflect my true beliefs about their cause.”
According to The Desk, this isn’t the first time La Roche has done such a thing.
On at least two other occasions, La Roche tweeted similar disdain for violent demonstrators in Oakland. Earlier this month, he directed a message to Oakland police asking if it could “be open season on the protesters.” Last November, he suggested that members of the embattled Ferguson, Missouri police department be recruited to “put down those animals in Oakland seeing as OPD seems to be taking the week off.”
Below are KGO’s apology and explanation via twitter:
A freelancer sent inappropriate tweets from his personal account that in no way reflect the views of ABC7. (cont.)
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) May 24, 2015
(cont.) This freelancer is no longer associated with the station.
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) May 24, 2015
The Desk also printed La Roche’s full apology:
“First off, in NO WAY do I advocate violence against anybody. What law enforcement has done to people of color, across this country is sickening. I am on the side of the people.
In the past, I have been frustrated with the violence that has followed peaceful protests in the city of Oakland. I have expressed my frustration by tweeting inflammatory things directed at those violent individuals. Those tweets were inexcusable and do not reflect my true beliefs about their cause. I’ve had people I know whose businesses have been affected by this violence. I falsely expected that behavior to rise again the night of May 23, 2015. In that frame of mind, I sent out a series of tweets that I truly regret. Not because it cost me my job. They did what they had to do. I regret it because there is a large group of people I agree with in many ways, that think I’m against them.
I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I’m devastated that people who I agree with feel I’m against them. I’m truly sorry.”