The Orlando Police Department is taking WFTV-Channel 9 to task for a mistake it says aired on Eyewitness News on Friday. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Barb Jones sent an email to all Orlando media on Monday morning requesting WFTV correct the mistake.
Here’s the text of Jones’ rather extraordinary email:
“The news in Orlando creates a historical record of the Orlando Police Department and its members.Therefore, it is important the record be created based on fact. On Friday, July 17, 2009 at approximately 6:15 p.m. WFTV-9 aired a follow up story about an Officer Involved Shooting which took place on Hope Circle which was being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The reporter named the WRONG officer as the officer involved in the shooting. While we understand the important role the media plays in the community and law enforcement all entities to include citizens expect the reporting to be ACCURATE. The mistake could have been avoided if the reporter had obtained the documents from FDLE who is the investigative authority. Thank you in advance for noting this correction and I continue to look forward to the news partnership we have had over the many years to make Orlando a safer city.”