BATON ROUGE - The father of a Baton Rouge Police officer slain in Sunday's ambush shooting condemned the police union's "attack" on a councilwoman's t-shirt.

In a letter to the editor to a local newspaper, Hosea Lyle Jackson, the father of BRPD officer Montrell Jackson, writes that he is disappointed that the Baton Rouge Union of Police "would attack and attempt to defame" Marcelle regarding a t-shirt.

"My son's death and the other officers of law enforcement should not have been used to discredit Ms. Marcelle in any way!" Jackson wrote.

In the letter, Jackson calls for Mayor Kip Holden and BRPD Chief Dabadie to denounce such behavior "that has caused a divide in our city."

Jackson said he called Marcelle to apologize and say that his family had no issue with her shirt. 

"We have seen her work and my son would be upset at the actions of this union," Jackson writes.

The Baton Rouge Union of Police issued a statement earlier this week stating an “inflammatory t-shirt” only served to "instigate and validate" violence against law enforcement.

That leader, Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, released a statement Tuesday in reply to the message from the Baton Rouge Union of Police.

“I stand in support of the press release from the Baton Rouge Police Union, and share their grief.  This is a time for all of Baton Rouge to stand together! What has happened in our city over the past two weeks has been horrible and I reiterate my condolences to the Sterling family, the Jackson family, the Gerald family, the Garafola family and the entire law enforcement community.” said Rep. Marcelle.

She apologized if the shirt, which featured a blood spatter design in protest of the death of Alton Sterling, offended anyone. She points out that after Sunday’s shooting, she was photographed wearing a similar shirt that bore the names of the slain officers who died due to unnecessary bloodshed.

Her statement concluded with:  “I have always been a proponent of equity for all citizens and will continue to demand fairness for ALL people. I will continue to be against ALL violence because there has been entirely too much bloodshed and I look forward to better days ahead. Finally, I want to thank those law enforcement officers who have thanked me for praying for them and for pleading with the citizens not to result in violence, for encouraging protesters to turn off music that was offensive to police, for going to the scene at Airline Hwy. and Goodwood to ask protesters to get out of the street and for standing for peaceful protests!  Baton Rouge is better together!”