Police Dept. Faces Backlash over Photo of Officer Comforting One-Month-Old

Police officer comforting baby
Facebook/Brian Burton

The Birmingham Police Department is facing backlash over a photo of an officer comforting a one-month-old baby that went viral on Facebook.

Officer Michelle Burton held a one-month-old baby, whose parents overdosed, in her arms in the photo that gained a lot of positive attention on social media. Burton spent hours taking care of the baby and her siblings the night their father died and their mother was taken to the hospital.

The family of the baby, however, is not impressed with the amount of attention the baby is getting.

Mary Purnell Adalane, the baby’s aunt, spoke out at a Birmingham City Council meeting, saying that the baby was “exploited,” WVTM reported.

“This child has a right and it’s been violated. This police officer exploited this child,” Adalane said. “No one gave them permission to take that picture.”

Adalane noted that family members found out about the parents’ drug overdoses through the photo.

The city referred Adalane to its legal department, WVTM reported.

The mother is still in the hospital and the children are currently in the custody of the Department of Human Services.

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