Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell landed in some very hot water after sharing, then deleting, a gruesome image of a police officer getting his throat slit by a masked hooded figure.
The photo, which can be seen here, was posted following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men recently shot to to death by police, but the day before 5 Dallas cops were shot and killed. It was accompanied with the caption, “Mood: They give policies all types of weapons and they continuously choose to kill us…#Weak.”
The Browns demanded Crowell to publicly apologize, which he did, citing “My values and beliefs do not match that image” and he posted it in “the midst of that emotion” following the deaths of Sterling and Castile.
But, according to TMZ, the Cleveland Police aren’t having it.
Stephen Loomis, President of Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, thinks the “store-bought apology” isn’t enough. “He needs to go to Dallas, help the families who lost their loved ones last week, write them a check, look them in the eyes and give a heartfelt apology.”
Loomis says Crowell’s post was as “offensive as putting a picture of historical African-American men being hung from a tree in the 60s.” He adds that if Crowell doesn’t go to Dallas and make a donation, “I will pull Cleveland officers, sheriffs, state troopers out of First Energy Stadium this season if he doesn’t make it right.”
As for Crowell admitting he was wrong and acted out of rage — Loomis says, “You’re a grown ass man, and you claim you were too emotional to know it was wrong? Think we’ll accept your apology? Kiss my ass.”
Crowell has already met with the Cleveland Police Chief, but evidently that’s not going to cut it in the eyes of law enforcement. Ugly situation, top to bottom.
[h/t TMZ]