Police officers in Mississippi have garnered angy rebukes from people after posting a photo of them posing with a suspect detained in a manhunt, The Independent writes.
The alleged bank robber, Eric Boykin, was arrested in Prentiss, Mississippi on 25 May. As seen in the image, the man is surrounded by four police officers and several police dogs. Boykin, shirtless and sitting on the ground, smiles intently into the camera. Bank robbery is considered one of the most serious crimes in the state of Mississippi and can earn a potential criminal a sentence of three years to life imprisonment.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 26, 2021
In the case of Boykin, there is nothing to be happy about, as he reportedly left the crime scene, making it harder for law enforcement agents to deal with the crime.
The image was initially posted by the local media outlet, WLBT. However, as more and more readers voiced concerns over the potentially racist undertones in the photo's composition, the picture was taken down. The officers who took part in the photo session are yet to be identified.
