A Newfoundland university official on Friday tweeted ‘f— the police’ in response to a social media post that mourned the death of two Edmonton officers.
Kerri Neil, a regent board member at Memorial University of Newfoundland, responded to a police Twitter post that grieved Cst. Travis Jordan, 35, and Cst. Brett Ryan, 30 who were killed last week on duty.
True North reported on Thursday that the officers responded to an Edmonton call at 12:47 a.m. and were killed before being able to draw their weapons in defence. The assailant was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Neil’s Friday tweet, jeering at Canada’s police force a day after the two deaths, was not her first run-in with controversy.
In 2018, Neil was terminated from her role as a byelection candidate due to her online activity. At the time, she was representing the NDP party for the Ontario riding of Windsor Lakes.
After being terminated, Neil posted that she would not delete Twitter or halt online activity in order to preserve her career. Her profile has been active since, touting controversial opinions.
According to the website of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Neil serves as a member of its board of regents, which manages and controls the university’s property, business and affairs.
