The Cleveland police union urged the Cleveland Browns NFL team to apologize for the shirt wide receiver Andrew Hawkins wore before Sunday’s game, which called for justice for shooting victims Tamir Rice and John Crawford. However, the team has declined to do so.
As he came out onto the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hawkins wore a shirt that read “Justice for Tamir Rice - John Crawford.” After the game, Jeff Follmer, Police Patrolman Union President, sent a statement to Newsnet5 Cleveland, calling Hawkins’ actions “pathetic.”
“It's pretty pathetic when athletes think they know the law. They should stick to what they know best on the field,” Follmer said. “The Cleveland Police protect and serve the Browns stadium and the Browns organization owes us an apology.”
However, in a statement to Cleveland.com, the Browns said they will not apologize, although they do respect the Cleveland police.
“We have great respect for the Cleveland Police Department and the work that they do to protect and serve our city," the team said. "We also respect our players' rights to project their support and bring awareness to issues that are important to them if done so in a responsible manner.”
Tamir Rice was the 12-year-old boy shot on Nov. 22 by a rookie police officer in Cleveland. There were complaints that he was carrying a gun, but it turned out to be a fake.
Crawford was shot by police on Aug. 5 in a Beavercreek, Ohio Walmart while carrying a toy rifle.
Earlier this month, police in St. Louis complained about Rams players doing the “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture after a grand jury decided not to indict an officer in the shooting of Michael Brown. While the police said the Rams apologized, the team later said it did not.
Other athletes also protested the decision in New York not to indict an officer in the death of Eric Garner by wearing “I Can’t Breathe” shirts. The phrase was Garner’s last words before his death.
image via Twitter from NFLonFox