A day after news that the U.S. military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said on its social media channels their “hearts go out” to Iranian “victims.”
The post sparked quick backlash — and an apology followed.
It’s unclear what time the initial message, which was on X, Facebook and Instagram, was posted Sunday.
The department deleted the post from X and edited its Facebook and Instagram posts to remove the first two sentences. An apology issued Sunday evening referred to the original post as “offensive and inappropriate.”
According to a screenshot of the tweet from KTLA, the original post 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 post also stated that, although there are no known threats to Los Angeles County, the department would be increasing patrol checks at places of worship and other sensitive locations throughout the county “out of an abundance of caution.”
The edited versions of the post on Instagram and Facebook exclude the first sentence of the original post and any mention of Iran, instead stating that the department is monitoring “the situation overseas.”
In its apology, the department said the post was made in error and did not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the department.
“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 communities,” the statement continued.
The department has launched an internal review to determine how the posts were created and published, and it is taking steps to strengthen “social media oversight protocols,” the statement said.
