Local News Producer Fired Over Tweets About Police Shooting Protesters

A freelance San Francisco news producer was fired for sending out tweets about how maybe the police should fire real bullets at protesters.

Journalist Matthew Keys was the first to cover the news about ex-KGO-TV freelance producer Carlos La Roche, who said this about Oakland protesters speaking out against the recent acquittal of a police officer in Cleveland:

Activists noticed and sent angry messages to KGO-TV about the tweet. In response, the station sent out these tweets saying he’s no longer associated with them:

A freelancer sent inappropriate tweets from his personal account that in no way reflect the views of ABC7. (cont.)

— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) May 24, 2015

(cont.) This freelancer is no longer associated with the station.

— ABC7 News (@abc7newsBayArea) May 24, 2015

Keys, who chronicled other questionable tweets from La Roche about protesters, received comment from him. La Roche said he was just “frustrated” by the violence in other cities and explained, “I have expressed my frustration by tweeting inflammatory things directed at those violent individuals. Those tweets were inexcusable and do not reflect my true beliefs about their cause.”

[images via screengrab/@marymad]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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