TORONTO – Social media was ablaze Thursday after Toronto police chief Bill Blair announced that investigators have recovered a video of Mayor Rob Ford as part of an investigation that focused on an alleged video purporting to show him smoking crack cocaine.
The video contains “images consistent with those that had been previously reported in the press,” Blair told reporters on Thursday.
The statement comes hours after hundreds of court documents were released revealing that Mayor Ford was the focus of a lengthy police investigation.
“As a citizen of Toronto, I’m disappointed,” Blair said during the press conference.
Read more: Complete coverage of the Rob Ford story
Reaction on social media was a mixed bag of jubilation for the reporters who broke the story – a group of journalists from the Toronto Star and U.S.-based publication Gawker – to citizens who expressed disappointment in their mayor.
#TOpoli, #RobFord, and “Bill Blair” were all trending on Twitter in Canada shortly after the press conference.
Some Twitter users responded to the news with humor.
Some Toronto city councillors also addressed the scandal through their social media channels.
Joe Mihevc, Ward 21, St. Paul’s West, posted a statement to his Facebook page Thursday afternoon.
“This is a sad day for the City of Toronto. As a Torontonian, and as a City Councillor for more than 20 years, it pains me to see the City of Toronto in the situation we currently face, and to see Council and the City of Toronto cast in this light on national television.
It is very unfortunate that the City and its residents have once again been thrown into such a state of uncertainty.
The Mayor of Toronto has a profound credibility problem. He is going to have to face Torontonians, and Council.
Our City deserves better.”
Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, Ward 27, did not address the controversy directly, but did mention it when tweeting a statement on “Protecting Views of the Ontario Legislative Assembly.”
Global News will continue to update this article with reaction. Click here for complete coverage of the latest developments.
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