Miami police have been mocked after unveiling an African-themed police car to commemorate Black History Month.
Mayor Francis Suarez unveiled the cruiser designed by the city’s police union Thursday along with Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales.
The car displayed the “Black Power” symbol along with African flags and the slogan “Miami Police Support Black History Month”.
“This is a beautiful collaboration to commemorate black history and black history month and the history of black people and our police department and our city,” Suarez said at the press conference. “This is black history.”
While officers proudly posed next to the car, some onlookers were left in disbelief.
Miami police are slammed for designing an African-themed police car in honor of Black History Month. The car debuted on Thursday
Many were quick to voice their opinions on Twitter.
“THIS CANNOT BE,” wrote Sherrilyn Ifill, former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
“Police work is now fixed. Thanks, police car,” added another person.
The Black Live Matter Twitter account also commented on the matter, posting a GIF of Cardi B that read, “I just hate it.”
“This has to be the clearest representation of being out of touch with reality because you have to be joking,” wrote another.
The car displayed the “Black Power” symbol along with African flags and the slogan “Miami Police Support Black History Month”.
Not so proud of the way the department was celebrating Black History Month, some people were quick to voice their opinions on Twitter
The Black Live Matter Twitter account also commented on the matter, posting a GIF of Cardi B that read, “I just hate it.”
Police proudly displayed the car while current and former officers posed alongside.
“Today we honor and celebrate the Miami Police’s black history with the unveiling of our new Black History vehicle,” the police department tweeted.
“Among all the officers present to commemorate the disclosure were some of our very first black police officers.”
Critics went on to question how much the cruiser’s design cost, adding that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“For regular folks, a car wrap costs about $5,000,” one person wrote. “Add the custom design and government inefficiency… probably more than $50,000. We should make a FOIA request and find out.”
After the backlash, Mayor Suarez’s office claimed they had nothing to do with the car’s design for Black History Month, reporter Joshua Ceballos said.
“Just spoke to Black Police Union President @mcpba1946 Stanley Jean-Poix,” Ceballos wrote on Twitter.
“He said Mayor Suarez’s office had nothing to do with the car’s design and that the design had full union approval before it was revealed.”
“It celebrates our African heritage,” Jean-Poix told Ceballos.
After the backlash, Mayor Suarez’s office claimed they had nothing to do with the car’s design for Black History Month
The Black History Month themed car was released nearly a week after protests erupted across the country after footage of a hostile traffic delay left Tire Nichols dead.
The 29-year-old unarmed black man who was brutally beaten after a traffic delay on January 7. Nichols died on January 10, three days after he was brutally beaten by several Memphis police officers.
Justin Smith, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, Demetrius Haley and Tadarrius Bean were later charged with second-degree murder, assault, kidnapping, official misconduct and suppression in the fatal caning of Nichols.
Preston Hemphill was also suspended with salary pending a hearing, but has so far been spared criminal charges against his five police colleagues.
Hemphill, 26, who joined the force in 2018, carried the body camera that captured the first of four videos released by authorities on Friday about the traffic stop and the violent confrontation that followed.
A seventh officer, who was not immediately identified, was also discharged from duty without pay, the police department said.
The Black History Month themed car was released nearly a week after protests erupted across the country after footage of a hostile traffic delay left Tire Nichols dead
Five Memphis police officers, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Emmitt Martin, Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean, face murder charges for their part in Nichols’ death
Preston Hemphill was suspended with pay pending a hearing but was spared criminal charges