On Saturday night in Minnesota, four off duty police officers walked out of the Target Center leaving their job for the night after seeing Minnesota Lynx players wearing “Black Lives Matter” shirts during warmups. After the recent killings of two black men Alton Sterling (in Baton Rouge) and Philando Castile (right in Minnesota) by Police officers,Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx decided to speak out!
An up close look at the warm-up shirts #LosLynx are wearing to honor #AltonSterling #PhilandoCastile & #DallasPD pic.twitter.com/veqoGXP4VZ
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 9, 2016
According to the Chicago Tribute,
Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, praised them for quitting. “I commend them for it,” he said.
Kroll said the four officers also removed themselves from a list of officers working future games. He did not know who the officers were. “Others said they heard about it and they were not going to work Lynx games,” he said.
Asked if other officers will fill in for those who quit, Kroll said, “If (the players) are going to keep their stance, all officers may refuse to work there.”
The black shirts worn by the players read, “Change starts with us, justice and accountability” and the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling on the back along with “Black Lives Matter.”
A St. Anthony, Minn., police officer killed Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., and Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., setting off protests in Minneapolis and nationwide.
At a pregame news conference, Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunsen said the players were “wearing shirts to honor and mourn the loss of precious American citizens and to plead change for all of us.”
“We are highlighting a longtime problem of racial profiling,” said forward Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP.
Players also denounced the “senseless ambush” of Dallas police.
Police spokesman Scott Seroka said Chief Janee Harteau was still gathering facts and declined to comment. Representatives of the Minnesota Lynx and Target Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
I’m proud of the Minnesota Lynx for standing up for what they believe is right. I hope other athletes follow their lead and continue to do the same. Stay tuned to HHS1987. Follow @eldorado2452 on Twitter and Instagram for all your sports news.
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