The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has formally apologized for an “offensive and inappropriate social media post” concerning the ongoing situation in Iran.
“This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department,” the Sheriff’s Department stated in a message posted late Sunday. “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 community.”
The apology notice further explained that the department acknowledges the significant impact of “words and messages” and will conduct an internal review of the deleted social media post to “determine how it was created and published.”
The original post was shared on X on June 22, hours after it was announced that the U.S. had completed strikes on . According to information obtained by KTLA, the caption read: “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran. While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”
The phrase “victims and families” has since been removed from edited versions of the post on other platforms, and the original post on X is no longer visible.
The message ignited controversy, with some individuals criticizing the Sheriff’s Department for commenting on military actions and sharing what appeared to be a sympathetic message.
One conservative commentator asserted that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department “should be ashamed of themselves,” while another individual stated they believed “someone went rogue” with an “unapproved post,” calling it a “PR disaster.”
Notably, more than half of all Iranian immigrants in the U.S. reside in California, with over a third living in the L.A. metropolitan area. Many of those Iranian Americans living in L.A. are among those that fled the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Meanwhile, the U.S. strikes have had implications domestically and beyond. Prominent world leaders and figures have expressed they are “” by the military action, while others have called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations over nuclear capabilities.
The world awaits a response from Iran, which has conducted actions that targeted three key nuclear facilities after the U.S. joined the ongoing conflict alongside Israel.
