He’d do it again: Police chief behind controversial photo tells his story

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric, Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay says he may have been “naive” in thinking a photo he took on New Year’s Eve wouldn’t attract much attention.
 
“I didn’t see anything in the message that I quite frankly even thought would be all that controversial.” McLay told Couric.
 
The police chief had been in a coffee shop talking to members of the community about race and law enforcement issues when members of an activist group called “What’s Up?! Pittsburgh” asked him to hold a sign that read, “I resolve to challenge racism @ work #EndWhiteSilence.” They snapped a photo.
 
Moments after the image was tweeted by the group, McLay realized it could catapult him to the national stage as messages of both criticism and support flooded in. It also caused a rift between the chief and some members of his police force.
 
The president of Pittsburgh’s Fraternal Order of Police, Howard McQuillan, wrote in an email to McLay: “Our current Chief [is] insinuating that we are now racist, merely by the color of our skin and the nature of our profession, I say enough is enough!”
 
McLay issued an email apology to his police force which read, in part: “It appears my having been photographed with a sign supporting racial justice at work and “white silence” has offended some. If any of my PBP [Pittsburgh Bureau of Police] family was offended, I apologize. You are very important to me and I would never hurt you purposefully…”
 
In the Yahoo interview, McLay states that in hindsight he would still choose to hold the sign for the photo. But he would have immediately emailed his force to explain the intent of the image in order to avoid any misconceptions about his message.