A video currently circulating on social media purporting to show senior officers attending the TTPS Media Briefing today failing to reply to a question from the media is fake, the Police Service is asserting.
In an official statement, the TTPS said the video in question “has been altered and does not accurately reflect the interaction which took place.”
According to the statement, contrary to the video circulating online, the question about the suspect in the alleged arson attack that claimed the life of a 3-year-old boy was answered promptly by ACP Richard Smith.
The TTPS statement quotes him directly:
“At this stage, I cannot comment on whether a report was made by the victim in this matter to the TTPS, however, I will make some enquiries into that and give you some information some time during the course of the day. We offer our condolences to the relatives of the deceased and we see this as a heinous crime and we will deploy all our resources as it relates to solving this crime and going after the perpetrator and putting him where he is supposed to be.”
The Police Service is urging members of the public to avoid spreading misinformation on social media before of the serious negative impact.
“It can add to the distress being experienced by the victims of crime and their families,” the TTPS said.
It added: “We also condemn the attempt by individuals to make our officers appear indifferent to questions from the media, as the TTPS maintains its commitment to be accountable to and transparent with the public in matters of crime fighting.”