The San Francisco Police Officers Association is unhappy with the recent comments Colin Kaepernick made about law enforcement corruption, and the organization is demanding an apology.
In a letter addressed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and 49ers president and CEO Jed York, SFPOA president Martin Halloran ripped Kaepernick for his “foolish statement” about the law enforcement profession.
“While we certainly acknowledge Mr. Kaepernick’s first amendment right to remain seated during the National Anthem, as inappropriate as that may be, we will not stand by while he attacks police officers in this country with statements such as, ‘People are on paid leave while people of color are killed,” Halloran wrote in the letter, which was obtained by TMZ.
The SFPOA beleives Kaepernick “embarrassed himself, the 49ers organization, and the NFL based on a false narrative and misinformation that lacks any factual basis.” Halloran invited the 28-year-old quarterback and any other NFL employee to visit the San Francisco Police Department Academy and take part in any of the simulations recruits participate in during their training.
“Not only does he show an incredible lack of knowledge regarding our profession and ‘officer involved’ shootings, but also shows a naivety and total lack of sensitivity towards police officers,” the letter continued.
“Perhaps Mr. Kaepernick could comment on the murder of 40 police officers in the United States in the past few months, or the assaults perpetrated on over 100,000 law enforcement officers in the past year. Perhaps he could lend his commentary to the over 8,000 murders that African Americans inflicted on one another in 2015. The law enforcement community cannot be continuosly blamed for all of society’s problems, including racial divide, in our country. It isn’t fair and it isn’t true.”
If Kaepernick’s goal was to start a discussion, you could certainly say he accomplished it. Countless people and organizations have already weighed in, including Kaepernick’s former coach and several of his fellow players.
