Bruised and Battered Rihanna Photo Appears Online

The Los Angeles Police Department is full of activity over the Chris Brown assault case, and things just seem to keep piling up.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a photo of the victim in the incident, singer Rihanna, was posted on online gossip site TMZ.com. The photo showed a woman with closed eyes, a fat lip, and a bruised forehead. Along with the photo ran the line, "TMZ has obtained a photo of Rihanna taken after Chris Brown allegedly beat her."

The LAPD is currently investigating whether or not the photo is a piece of police evidence in its case against Brown.

President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, Paul M. Weber, released a statement on Friday:

"We applaud the Los Angeles Police Department for quickly opening an internal investigation into whether a picture posted on TMZ.com is an actual evidence photo. . . . As in the case of the privacy breach earlier this month, where confidential personnel information of 248 officers was disclosed by the LAPD, the LAPPL strongly supports an expansive review of security procedures within the Department. We fully support letting the investigation take its natural course."

The LAPD is in the middle of investigating the alleged assault of Rihanna by Brown, which occurred early in the morning on Feb. 8, in Los Angeles's Hancock Park neighborhood.

This photograph does look like one taken by the LAPD during official investigations, particularly of this type, which the LAPD announced in a statement on Thursday.

"The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence," it read. "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."

Weber added that this incident is part of a problem the department has faced before, as the release of accused officers' names lead to issues during investigations.

"The League has fought hard in recent years to ensure that the names and personal data of officers being investigated for potential wrongdoing stay private, despite opposition from powerful opponents in the state legislature and the media," he said in the statement. "Despite their claims that accused officers' information will remain confidential, the LAPD cannot guarantee such information will not make its way onto the Internet."

Brown was arrested on the day of the incident, but the district attorney's office has yet to officially charge him due to lack of further evidence, spurring further investigation into the events.