It was an image that immediately shocked the reader of TMZ.com and other Web sites: The beautiful, chiseled features of pop singer Rihanna had been replaced by a bruised and swollen mask, the result of a beating allegedly administered by Rihanna's  boyfriend, R&B crooner Chris Brown. Even more shocked has been the Los Angeles Police Department, which, according to the L.A. Times, has launched an investigation to learn how the photograph made its way to TMZ. An LAPD press release issued last night sternly declared that the “Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence.

The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint.

A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination.”
Image: TMZ.com

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