A Toronto councillor says she liked a tweet with "f*** the police" attached to it, because she simply wanted to read the article later while traveling down south.
Shelley Carroll has since unliked the tweet by activist, freelance journalist and NEWSTALK1010 host Desmond Cole, which linked to the story of a human rights tribunal involving a six-year-old girl being handcuffed in school by Peel Police.
"I was in a place where articles and pictures weren't showing on Twitter and I wanted to read the article, so I liked it until I could get to a place where I saw the data," she said while she was recently in New York. "That's the God's honest truth."
The Toronto Police Association had previously called for an explanation regarding the tweet being liked, saying both the sentiment behind it and the language was inappropriate.
"Short of her doing that in error, for somebody who is an elected official, a public official, a city councillor, let alone a former police services board member, this is very troubling to see," union president Mike McCormack had said.
But Carroll said once she read the article, she unliked the tweet as she had intended.
"I'm afraid I'm a bit of an old codger, liking the tweet to save the article, I didn't realize it goes out there into the ether," she said. "When you're a representative, particularly one of my age, your staff are always telling you to be careful."
The Star reports the tribunal heard this week that Peel officers said they felt they had no choice in cuffing both the girl's hands and feet, after they had been called in to deal with her tantrum in school back in September 2016.
The girl reportedly has had behavioural issues before, including biting a staff member and riding her bike into another staff member.
The mother has testified that race had to do with how police handled her, which the human rights claim says the officers provided no reason in their notes to do so, according to the Star.
Carroll sat on the police board as a member during her previous term.
"I know the work they do, I also know the painful and difficult situations they are placed in day-to-day-to-day and so I have respect for that, that's why I'm interested in following this case," she said. "A human rights tribunal is as important to me as any courtroom."
As for those who may not believe her explanation, she said it was simply not good judgement on her part.
"I'm sorry for any upset caused, the explanation I've just given is the God's honest truth," she said.