WATCH: The chair of the Toronto Police Services Board is under fire for sharing a Facebook post. Peter Kim reports.
TORONTO – The union representing Toronto Police officers is demanding Alok Mukherjee, the chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, resign after he shared a photo supporting protests against the decision not to indict the New York City police officer who choked Eric Garner to death.
But Mukherjee said is Facebook post was only meant to “encourage conversation.”
“I would like to make it very clear that the iteam was shared as a topic of interest, intended to encourage conversation and reflection,” he said in a statement released Friday afternoon.
“It was not intended to be a negative commentary in any way on members of our police service or on our practices.”
Mukherjee shared a photo from Occupy Wall Street – the activist group which took over Zuccotti Park during the Occupy protests – noting that far more Americans have been killed by police officers than by ISIS or Ebola.
“Mukherjee has crossed the line. His lack of objectivity indicates he is no longer fit to sit on a police oversight body,” the union’s press release reads. “His sharing of this poster is clearly unprofessional, clearly unethical and clearly seeks to undermine the very people he is paid to oversee.”
The press release says Mukherjee’s Facebook activity shows his “obvious disdain for police” and “apparent lack of judgement.” A banner at the bottom of the release reads “we protect those who protect others.”
Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack said during an interview Friday afternoon that Mukherjee’s posting shows his “bias.”
“Our members feel they can no longer trust Alok Mukherjee,” McCormack said. “I’m also worried about these type of comments from somebody who’s in a position of authority legitimizing comments that are saying police officer are worse than terrorists.”
https://twitter.com/PeterKimGlobal/status/540946229740716032
The shared post does not currently appear on Mukherjee’s public Facebook wall.
Mayor John Tory had asked Mukherjee to make a public explanation of his Facebook and says his e-mailed statement is not good enough.
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