A song celebrating the killing of Michael Brown that was performed at a retired officer’s party during an Elk’s Lodge charity event has prompted the Los Angeles Police Department to launch an internal investigation, according to its chief’s statements on Tuesday.
Lodge member Gary Fishell sang the sordid tune to the melody of the ’70s hit “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce. The lyrics of the song were changed to blatantly disrespect the death of Michael Brown.
“Michael Brown learned a lesson about a messin’
With a badass policeman
And he’s bad, bad Michael Brown
Baddest thug in the whole damn town
Badder than old King Kong
Meaner than a junkyard dog
Two men took to fightin’
And Michael punched in through the door
And Michael looked like some old Swiss cheese
His brain was splattered on the floor
And he’s dead, dead Michael Brown
Deadest man in the whole damn town
His whole life’s long gone
Deader than a roadkill dog.”
The charity golf event, thrown by LAPD cop Joe Myers, consisted of about 60 attendees, half of whom were retired and current police officers.
Fishell, who reportedly works as a private investigator, admits that he only just realized that the song was “off-color and in poor taste,” according to sentiments his lawyer expressed to TMZ. “He’s a goofball who writes funny songs.”
When asked why Fishell would even thinking of mocking the tragic death of a young boy, his lawyer answered, “He thought the room would get a kick out of it.”
One attendee of the function was offended by the song and recorded it. The video has now been released to the public.
Glendale Elks Lodge is now trying to distance themselves from the Myers’ event. According to statements that a nameless trustee of the lodge told TMZ, the dinner was not an Elks Club affair and Myers, who is a member, was allowed to hold a dinner at the location.
This video has once again sparked Black Lives Matter protests and public anger. About 200 people marched in New York on Tuesday in response, despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s call for protests to be suspended after two police officers were killed in their patrol car on Saturday in a revenge attack.
View the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1q5H-APUrI
