2nd St. Paul Officer May Have Dressed Up As Muslim Woman
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- St. Paul Police say they are investigating the possibility that a second officer was caught on social media networks dressed up as a Muslim woman.
Howie Padilla confirmed a second investigation is underway, but would not confirm any information about the identity of the man pictured in the new image.
Last weekend, journalist Mukhtar Ibrahim tweeted a photo of Officer Robert Buth dressed up as a female Muslim Target employee at a private Halloween party.
Buth issued an apology on Tuesday after the photo made its way through social media, saying "I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by the recently publicized photo."
On Friday morning, Ibrahim sent another tweet out with a picture of a different person dressed in what appeared to be a hijab.
Police responded to the tweet, saying "Chief Smith is very aware of this photo. He is taking swift action looking into the matter."
Dave Titus, president of the Saint Paul Police Federation, released the following statement on Friday night:
"The Federation will not comment on the identity of the man in the second photo. What I can tell you is that these photos are not connected and no member of the St. Paul Federation meant to disrespect to anyone. St. Paul Police officers bring a level of professionalism to the job, as high as you will find anywhere in the country. Officers also have personal lives, just as any citizen. Halloween to most is about being something you are not, laughing at one's self and individual expression. Many Halloween costumes could be considered offensive, that does not mean the custom was created with ill intentions. No disrespect was intended."
