Wei-Huan Chen

wchen@jconline.com

A piece of street art invoking the recent unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, was taken down Monday after complaints that it was "offensive" and "in bad taste."

An illustration of a cop in riot gear, pasted on the side of Sylvia's Brick Oven, 625 Columbia St., facing Lafayette Police Department headquarters, is now covered by red paint that barely masks the dark, gritty lines. The piece, by artist Aaron Molden, was part of "small spaces: Lafayette," a public arts project, funded and sanctioned by the city, that aims to "funkify" Lafayette with street and graffiti-style art.

The project drew strong reactions when it was presented to the Historic Preservation Committee earlier this summer. Some members were worried that spray-painted artwork would clash with Lafayette's historic nature. The riot cop piece is the first to be taken down as a result of complaints.

Zach Medler, curator of the "small spaces" project, said the controversy highlights the importance of encouraging, not suppressing, dialogue about "bully cop" mentalities.

"I feel bullied right now," he said.

"My issue with it is free speech. The situation in Ferguson was why they were offended to begin with. ... When police complain about it, now we run into First Amendment issues."

Dick Nagel, owner of Sylvia's Brick Oven, said he received multiple calls from Lafayette police officers asking if the piece was illegal graffiti. After Nagel explained that the piece was sanctioned by the city, they responded with outrage, he said.

"The officers questioned why it was there and said they were in bad taste and offensive," Nagel said.

Nagel passed along the officers' concerns to Margy Deverall, project manager for "small spaces: Lafayette," who decided the piece should be removed.

Medler covered the piece with red paint.

"If someone voiced their opinion, they didn't check with us first," police Chief Patrick Flannelly said. Officers were speaking in an unofficial capacity, he added.

"But from what I saw, I can understand why an officer might be upset."

The piece will soon be replaced, though Medler said he doesn't expect everyone to be happy with the new art.

"You'll have to wait and see what it is," he said. "It'll be good."