Today’s front page of the Downey Patriot print edition contains a very unfortunate mistake. I cannot describe the immense regret I feel.

In a caption below photos from last week’s Black Lives Matter protest at City Hall, I wrote that a white man was killed by a Black police officer. Obviously it was the other way around. I can’t fathom how that mistake happened, other than it was written in haste and under deadline. But that is not an excuse.

I have spent the past two weeks covering protests, trying to give a voice to demonstrators and their pleas for racial equality and justice. Their demands for an end to racism and police brutality have been elevated in our newspaper and social media channels.

As a small newspaper, typos happen. But this mistake was inexcusable and there is no defending it. All I can say is that in my 18 years at the Downey Patriot, I have never felt this terrible. I pledge to do better going forward.

Eric Pierce
Editor