Canadian Police Blame ‘Automatic Setting’ For Cat-filtered Facebook Presser on Double Murder
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Sergeant Janelle Shoihet, was seen by Facebook users with whiskers and pink ears superimposed on her face as she briefed media persons about double murders.
Image tweeted by @tylerrdawson.
Police in Canada has apologized for the inadvertent use of a “cat filter” during a live-streamed press conference on a double murder case, blaming an “automatic setting” for the gaffe.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Sergeant Janelle Shoihet, was seen by Facebook users with whiskers and pink ears superimposed on her face as she briefed media persons about the murders of a US woman Chynna Deese and her Australian boyfriend Lucas Fowler.
The couple was found dead on a remote highway earlier this week. Several Twitter users posted screenshots of the gaffe on Twitter, slamming the Canadian police for being "insensitive" towards the families of the victims.
The B.C. RCMP are giving a press conference on the two people murdered on the Alaska Highway, and they have the cat ear filter on. pic.twitter.com/j8GvkvKA4u
— Tyler Dawson (@tylerrdawson) July 19, 2019
After deleting the live-streaming post from its Facebook page, the force later issued an apology and attributed the mistake to “technical difficulties.”
Tweeting about the incident, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said: "Yes we are aware and addressing it as it's an automatic setting. Thank you, we will rectify and issue a video shortly".
Yes we are aware and addressing it as it's an automatic setting. Thank you, we will rectify and issue a video shortly.
— BCRCMP (@BCRCMP) July 19, 2019
But many Twitter users did not buy the explanation, questioning the rationale behind using the cat filter as an automatic setting.
@BCRCMP why do you need the cat filter as an automatic setting?
— Douglas Theedom (@dtheedom) July 19, 2019
Not stupid at all!!! They just really like kitties.R- realC- catsM- mightP- be the best gd thing we've ever seen, have you guys seen cats?! V cool. If everyone had cats there would be 0 crime
— Benjamin 'pretty old sponge scrubber' James (@SometimesAdvntr) July 22, 2019
Last month, a Pakistani provincial minister’s press conference turned into a farce when the accidental use of a cat filter gave him feline features.
According to KP government’s social media team we now have a cat in the cabinet #Filter pic.twitter.com/LNl7zwOfLU
— Mansoor Ali Khan (@_Mansoor_Ali) June 14, 2019
Shaukat Yousafzai was later quoted as saying that the "mistake" should not be taken "so seriously".
The 'cat filter' is a popular online tool that allows users of social media sites and apps to superimpose feline features on their faces.