The Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) and the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) both issued statements Thursday which were highly critical of a political cartoon published in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and the Amarillo Globe-News on Monday.

Related Story: Lubbock State Representative takes issue with political cartoon

The political cartoon depicted a police officer pointing a gun at a child’s back with a caption that said, “Meanwhile, far from the border children are being separated from their families.”

CLEAT on Thursday referred to the cartoon as “cookie cutter media garbage.”  TMPA said it was offensive and inflammatory. 

CLICK HERE to see the Avalanche-Journal’s response.

The following is a statement from TMPA:

TEXAS MUNICIPAL POLICE ASSOCIATION RESPONDS TO INFLAMMATORY EDITORIAL CARTOON PUBLISHED BY THE LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Austin, TX – June 28, 2018– The Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) is harshly criticizing the Lubbock-Avalanche Journal for publishing an offensive and inflammatory editorial cartoon that promotes a false and dangerous narrative about the use of force by police officers.  See below for a statement from TMPA: 

“Law enforcement officers have grown accustomed to the false narratives about police shootings from national media outlets like MSNBC, NPR and the New York Times. Even though it was an editorial cartoon, we never thought we would see this kind of dishonest, irresponsible and inflammatory nonsense from the Lubbock-Avalanche Journal. 

This kind of despicable narrative portrayed in the cartoon (a police officer shooting an African-American man in the back) has made the job of law enforcement officers more difficult, as they inflame tensions without regard to facts.

The myth of “hands up, don’t shoot,” which was a fundamental mischaracterization of a justified police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, created racial tension and hampered police interaction with minority communities.

We saw tragedy in Dallas when a sniper specifically targeted and murdered police officers Certainly media hysteria and misinformation contributed to the sick thoughts of this deranged killer. Yet, while our country has rallied behind the men and women in blue following this tragedy, the Lubbock-Avalanche Journal seems determined to instead promote hatred of the very people who protect your families.

In an ever-changing media landscape, local newspapers are the last best chance for the public to get the truth. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has historically been a dependable source of news and supportive of the job of our officers. This is what has made this cartoon so much more offensive and we believe that they still owe an apology to the men and women in blue. 

The Texas Municipal Police Association is the largest police association in Texas representing more than 27,000 law enforcement officers. The editorial cartoon puts the lives of these officers at risk by adding fuel to the fire of a false narrative about the use of force against African Americans.

The first amendment gives the newspaper the right to publish the unconscionable cartoon. But because you have the right to do it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. The Lubbock-Avalanche Journal owes an apology to the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.”