LAPD chief: Song mocking Michael Brown under investigation
GLENDALE, Calif. -- A video of a song parody mocking the deadly officer-involved shooting of Missouri teen Michael Brown has surfaced, CBS Los Angeles reports, and the chief of the LAPD says the department is investigating.
The celebrity website, TMZ.com, posted a clip of the song allegedly performed by Gary Fishell, a private investigator, at an event organized by a retired Los Angeles Police Department officer.
According to the website, the video was taken at the Elks Lodge in Glendale last week.
A man is heard but not seen in the video singing the following lyrics:
And he's bad, bad Michael Brown
Baddest thug in the whole [expletive] town
Badder than old King Kong
The song continues:
And he's dead, dead Michael Brown
Deadest man in the whole [expletive] town
TMZ says a member, who is also a retired LAPD officer, was using the venue for a charity dinner attended by many current and retired police officers.
Still, the website says, when Fishell allegedly started mocking Brown's death, no one spoke up to stop it.
Late Tuesday afternoon, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said via Twitter:
CBS Los Angeles could not reach the organizer of the event for comment but a statement issued by Fishell's attorney to TMZ said: "Fishell now realizes the song was off color and in poor taste." The statement continued: "He's a goofball who writes funny songs."
The Elks Lodge points out that the event was not organized by the venue. Even so, they released a statement, which read in part:
"The Glendale Elks Lodge does not condone activities which are offensive or insensitive in nature. This incident is currently under investigation by lodge officers and immediate action will be taken against those responsible."