The Guardian's not the only publication firing shots at that much-loved photo of a Portland officer hugging a 12-year-old boy in the midst of recent Ferguson-related protests.

Website the Root, which bills itself as "the premier news, opinion and culture site for African-American influencers," also posted a story about the photo, shot by the Oregonian's Johnny Nguyen. Relying heavily on the Mercury's reporting (and our commenters!), the site points out that the officer in the photo, Sgt. Bret Barnum, was among a number of Portland Police Bureau employees who showed support for officers who'd posted online photos of an "I Am Darren Wilson" bracelet wrapped around a Portland police badge.

Here's the Mercury comment that initially pointed out those supporters:

And here's a bit from the Root's post, published online this morning:

Portland’s Mayor Charlie Hales issued a statement saying,“Their actions do a disservice to the hundreds of Portland police officers who are building relationships and partnerships with the community every day.”

As for Barnum, who was able to put on a happy face and hug a little black kid, he’s been making the media rounds since the photo has gone viral. In an interview with CNN, Barnum ironically spoke about the need for police departments and African-American communities to build relationships, and he spoke negatively about the protesters in Ferguson.

And later:

You have to wonder if this is just an act for Barnum and a way to gain notoriety. Because liking a profile photo that states “I am Darren Wilson” seems to contradict his views on police officers and their relationship building with black people. Especially when you choose also to side with a police officer who killed a black man and those who support that officer.