Susan Sarandon sorry for tweet that likened mourning for slain NY officer to fascism
Actress says her meme about Jason Rivera, who was shot to death while answering domestic disturbance call in Harlem, was ‘insensitive and deeply disrespectful’
American actress Susan Sarandon apologized Friday for a tweet about officers at the funeral of an NYPD detective slain while answering a domestic disturbance call, which called them fascists.
“I deeply regret the meme I recently shared on Twitter that included Officer Jason Rivera’s funeral,” Sarandon said on Twitter.
Rivera, 22, and his partner Wilbert Mora, 27, were fatally wounded last month after they were called to a Harlem apartment by a woman who said she needed help with her adult son. Lashawn J. McNeil threw open a bedroom door and shot the officers as they walked down a narrow hall, authorities said.
“I reacted quickly to the picture without connecting it to a police funeral and I realize now how insensitive and deeply disrespectful it was to make that point at that time. I sincerely apologize to the family of Officers Rivera and [Wilbert] Mora for causing additional pain during their time of grieving,” the actress added.
On Tuesday, Sarandon shared a tweet that showed thousands of officers gathering for Rivera’s funeral in New York City. “I’m gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like,” the original post, by podcaster Danny Haiphong, read.
Sarandon added to the tweet: “So, if all these cops weren’t needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren’t needed ANY day?” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sarandon’s tweet has since been deleted.
The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York condemned Sarandon’s post on Wednesday: “This is what privilege looks like: a wealthy actress, safe in her bubble, mocking heroes & making light of the crisis that cops are battling alongside our communities. NYC is uniting to stop the violence — @SusanSarandon is living on a different planet,” they wrote on Twitter.
A third officer, Sumit Sulan, a rookie who was shadowing Rivera and Mora — shot McNeil as he tried to flee. The gunman, 47, died a few days later, authorities said.
