Meteorologist Jeremy Kappell promised that he did not use a racial slur in reference to Martin Luther King Jr. and issued an apology to anyone who may have been hurt by his slip-up during a television broadcast last week.

WHEC-TV (Channel 10) fired Kappell on Monday, three days after he appeared to refer to a Rochester park as "Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Park" in a live shot on a newscast. Kappell said that he jumbled his words by mistake during a four-minute Facebook video that he posted on Monday evening.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren and City Council President Loretta Scott made a public call for Kappell's firing on Sunday night. WHEC vice president and general manager Richard A. Reingold announced Monday that the station parted ways with Kappell.

"As a result of that broadcast, meteorologist Jeremy Kappell is no longer with News10NBC," Reingold said. "These words have no place on News10NBC’s air, and the fact that we broadcast them disheartens and disgusts me."

Kappell called the ordeal a "simple misunderstanding." He added that he is disappointed in WHEC's decision to let him go and that he expected more backing from his employer

Flanked by his wife, Lisa, in the Facebook video, Kappell thanked friends, family, neighbors, his church and social media users for their outpouring of support.

"It’s been so heartwarming and we needed it," Kappell said. "It’s been such a tumultuous couple of days for us. We’ve had hardly any sleep at all and it’s just been very, very hard on me and my family."

Kappell said that he spoke too fast on the air and jumbled Martin Luther King Jr.'s name. He didn't initially realize how the gaffe was interpreted by viewers.

"I’m my mind I knew I mispronounced but there was no malice nothing that I could’ve … I had no idea the way it came across to many people," Kappell said. "That is not a word I said I promise you that. If you did feel that it hurt you in any way in any way I sincerely apologize. I would never want to tarnish the reputation of a such a great man as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest civic leaders of all time."

Kappell has previously worked at stations in Texas, Kentucky, Kansas and Ohio. He earned an Emmy in 2015 for work on a documentary about the 1974 tornado Super Outbreak and was named Best Weather Anchor in 2016 by the Kentucky Associated Press when he was at WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky.

Kappell, who was hired as WHEC's chief meteorologist in October 2017, said that he's thankful for his family's support as he's pursued his love for meteorology for 20 years and has enjoyed his time in Rochester.

"With that being said I’m so disappointed that my career could end this way, and extremely disappointed at the decisions at my television station whom I expected a certain level of support from which I did not receive at all," Kappell said. "I can’t speak to (WHEC's) intent, I can only to speak to mine. In no way, and if you know me I don’t even have to say it, I would never intend to harm that way to anyone."

Kappell concluded the video by asking people to hold back their judgment.

"Judge not lest thou be judged," he said. "In the meantime, thank you so much for being here and thank you for your support."

Here is a full transcript of the entire Facebook video:

Hey everybody, Jeremy Kappell and my wife, Lisa, here. We wanted to take the time to address what has happened over the last several days since my weathercast on Friday. Before we get to that I do want to take the time to thank you. Thank all of our family, thank all of our friends for the enormous amount of support you have given us since the very, very beginning. I want to take the time to thank our neighbors. We just had one of our neighbors over here just a few minutes ago with nothing but love and support, huge and tears. We couldn’t be doing this without you guys. Thank you for our church for reaching out and for offering what we know will be continued support throughout this ordeal. That means a ton. We need your thoughts, your prayers and love at this time.

And I also want to thank everybody on social media, even those that don’t know us. The outpouring has been unbelievable. It’s been so heartwarming and we needed it. It’s been such a tumultuous couple of days for us. We’ve had hardly any sleep at all and it’s just been very, very hard on me and my family.

What happened on Friday, to me, it’s a simple misunderstanding. If you watch me regularly you know I tend to contain a lot of information in my weathercast, which forces me to speak fast. Unfortunately I spoke a little too fast when I was referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So fast to the point where I jumbled a couple of little words. I’m my mind I knew I mispronounced but there was no malice nothing that I could’ve … I had no idea the way it came across to many people.

As soon as started to mispronounce it I put an emphasis on “King” and moved on. I had no idea what some people could’ve interpreted that as. I know some people did interpret it the wrong way. That is not a word I said, I promise you that. If you did feel that it hurt you in any way in any way I sincerely apologize. I would never want to tarnish the reputation of a such a great man as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the greatest civic leaders of all time. He changed the world forever and he changed the world for better. I would never do that.

OK, with that being said, I have been fortunate enough to pursue this career of meteorology. I think I need to say that. For almost 20 years I’ve had the fortune of pursuing my love of this science. I want to thank this woman and this family for helping me do that. It was a little over a year ago that our journey brought us up to Rochester with this wonderful opportunity. I can’t say it was a mistake coming up here. We’ve met so many wonderful people who’ve taken us into their homes.

Overall until recently it’s been an extremely positive experience. With that being said I’m so disappointed that my career could end this way, and extremely disappointed at the decisions at my television station whom I expected a certain level of support from which I did not receive at all. And so here we are looking at what we’re going to do next. I can’t speak to their intent, I can only speak to mine. In no way, and if you know me I don’t even have to say it, I would never intend to harm that way to anyone.

For those also that are out there that may be hurting because someone has cast judgment on them so quickly over something that was said or maybe something that they didn’t say, they stumbled their words and a video got out. Please hold back your judgment. As our great teacher tells us: Judge not lest thou be judged. In the meantime thank you so much for being here and thank you for your support. We’ll be in touch. Thanks.

More on this

► ORIGINAL STORY: WHEC apologizes to viewers; fires Jeremy Kappell

► SLUR: 'Mike & Mike' host used the same slur and kept his job

► APOLOGY: Kappell apologizes on Facebook, says he didn't use slur

► REACTION: Kappell says mayor, WHEC-TV rushed to judgment

► SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter, Facebook reacts to slur controversy

► HISTORY: Slur meteorologist used has venomous history

► FIRING: Can Kappell sue WHEC and win?

►REACTION: Jeremy Kappell says support is overwhelming

►JEREMY KAPPELL: 'I crunched two words together'