The St. Louis Post-Dispatch apologized to readers for a “serious error in judgment” in its online coverage of the fatal shooting of North County Police Cooperative Officer Michael Langsdorf on Sunday. A clerk at a food market restaurant where the incident occurred recorded the aftermath of the shooting in which an armed suspect struggled with Langsdorf. The clerk posted that video of the graphic shooting aftermath to Facebook Live and called police for help. A Post-Dispatch editor posted a link to the Facebook Live video in an online story on STLtoday.com, then deleted it a short time later. The clerk deleted the Facebook Live video.
The newspaper now says that the link to the video should not have been shared on STLtoday.com. The Post-Dispatch supports ethical standards set by the Society of Professional Journalists, which include to “minimize harm” and “show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage.” Linking to that Facebook Live video violated those standards, the paper says, adding that it “regrets and apologizes for causing pain to the Langsdorf family and law enforcement officers.” Bonette Kymbrelle Meeks, who has a criminal record in North Carolina, was charged with killing Langsdorf when he responded to a call about a bad check at a business, the Post-Dispatch reports.