California sheriff’s department apologizes for ‘offensive and inappropriate social media post’ on Iran situation

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials on Sunday said there were no known threats locally in response to the U.S. military attacking nuclear sites in Iran — but the department’s message on social media was later withdrawn over “offensive and inappropriate” language, the agency said.

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An initial version of the statement read, “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran. While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”

Observers on X and other social media posts immediately flagged that language as problematic and it was soon edited before being removed by the LASD.

Around 7 p.m. Sunday, the department issued a formal apology statement and shared an updated version of the post.

“We are issuing this statement to formally apologize for an offensive and inappropriate social media post recently posted on our Department social media platforms regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran,” the statement read. “This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department.”

The department stated as a law enforcement agency, it stayed away from commenting on military matters and was conducting an internal review on the incident.

Further information on who posted the initial statement and why was not immediately available.

NEW: The LA County Sheriff’s Department has edited a tweet that originally said, “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran”. It now says they’re “closely monitoring the situation overseas”. pic.twitter.com/TfLkBrcvih

— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) June 23, 2025

City News Service contributed to this story.