To be fair to NYPD Chief Joanne Jaffe, there probably isn’t any combination of 140 characters that will soothe the public after an officer who choked a man to death for selling cigarettes escaped a trial.
Still, things were bound to go poorly when Jaffe used today’s grand jury decision not to indict the officer—whose killing of Eric Garner was ruled a homicide—as the impetus to launch a new hashtag. As you consider the NYPD’s position and social media strategy, remember that there is clear-as-day video footage of the officer using an illegal chokehold on Garner, who complains “I can’t breathe” until he stops breathing and dies.
The #NYPD is committed to rebuilding public trust. #Wehearyou
— NYPD Community Affairs (@NYPDCommAffairs) December 3, 2014
What happened next as inevitable: The hashtag became an anti-NYPD rallying cry.
https://twitter.com/dmcrawford/status/540242094904729600
Just like cop heard “I can’t breathe” 11x before killing him RT @NYPDCommAffairs #NYPD is committed to rebuilding public trust. #Wehearyou
— Jia Tolentino (@jiatolentino) December 3, 2014
https://twitter.com/NelStamp/status/540250416983052288
“@NYPDCommAffairs: The #NYPD is committed to rebuilding public trust. #Wehearyou” unless we’re saying we can’t breathe, in which case STFU?
— Hari Kunzru (@harikunzru) December 3, 2014
Jaffe might be committed to rebuilding public trust, but she and her department have a long way to go.
Photo via Dave Hosford/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) | Remix by Jason Reed
