Police Super Bowl Rape Joke About Drunk Driving Prompts Apology

A tweet warning against drunk driving from the Kentucky State Police that also made a rape joke innuendo caused an uproar and prompted an apology Sunday.

The original tweet from police, which has since been deleted, read: “Enjoy watching Rob Gronkowski (TE) play but if you drink & drive ... your tight end may end up in jail!” Accompanying the tweet was a gif of soap on a rope hitting the floor. It was tweeted out Sunday just as the Super Bowl got underway.

The gif references a lewd joke about male prison rape where picking up dropped soap in a shared shower makes one vulnerable to rape. The state police also tweeted several other warnings against driving under the influence.

“The Kentucky State Police apologizes for the inappropriate tweet that appeared on our Twitter feed earlier tonight. Making light of sexual assault is never acceptable, and we apologize for the stress this tweet caused, particularly to the victims of these heinous crimes,” read the statement. “KSP is committed to protecting against sexual assault and fighting for justice for victims. This tweet — made by an individual employee — does not represent KSP or our mission.”

The tweet received widespread criticism including from Kentucky’s Secretary of State Alison Grimes.

“Rape & sexual assault are not joking matters. Citizens expect & deserve better of law enforcement. An apology to victims everywhere from @kystatepolice is needed,” tweeted Grimes.

Kentucky State Police and the office of Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s office could not immediately be reached for comment by International Business Times.

Bevin himself got into hot water over rape kits early last year. The governor announced that a backlog of rape kits had been cleared by Kentucky State Police in February, when that wasn’t the case. The backlog wasn't fully tested until November of last year.