A red-faced Winnipeg Police Department is apologizing over an explicit conversation between two officers overheard by a few residents in Manitoba, Canada.
Well, “overheard” might not be the appropriate term, given that the sexually explicit conversation was actually broadcast over a loudspeaker.
And “a few” residents may be understating it as well, since the loudspeaker was affixed to a helicopter patrolling a wide swath of the city at the time. Residents from several neighborhoods reported hearing the bawdy banter.
Winnipeg police, probably quite eager for the whole thing to blow over, nevertheless owned up to the embarrassing gaff on Tuesday via Twitter.
“#Winnipeg, please accept our sincerest apologies for last night’s conversation that was broadcast via Air 1. #whoops.”
A click on the hashtag #whoops revealed all the sordid details.
Natanielle Felicitas was the first to tweet what she had heard overhead, which was just after 9:30 p.m. Monday. “Does the #Winnipeg chopper realize the entire West End can hear their convo…right now? @winnipeg311 #speakerphone #whoops.”
Over on the north side of town, Marie Cee chimed in. “So my teenager just told me the police helicopter is broadcasting their business. I thought he was crazy, but … heard it here in the north end too lol.”
Felicitas later told CBC News that she was “having a backyard hang out with the gals and the megaphone on that chopper was loud and clear.”
“We paused to listen and were shocked by what we heard,” said the Winnipeg-based cellist. “It was a hilarious and inappropriate human blooper moment. I rarely tweet, but this moment seemed too bizarre not to share.”
Winnipeg Police’s tweet linked to a lengthier apology.
“On June 22, 2015, at approximately 9:30 p.m., members of the Winnipeg Police Service Helicopter AIR1, while on routine patrol, inadvertently activated the aircraft’s public address system. As a result, the flight crew’s conversation was publically broadcast; some content of the conversation was inappropriate. The involved members were not able to hear the public address system from within the aircraft. They became aware their conversation had been broadcast and immediately turned the system off. The Winnipeg Police Service, the Flight Operations Unit, and the involved members sincerely apologize to all members of the public, especially those who overheard the broadcast.”
Police said the incident is being reviewed.