*A police officer at Colin Kaepernick’s alma mater in Nevada dressed up as the former 49ers quarterback for Halloween, mocking his decision to protest racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem.
University of Nevada, Reno officer Antonio Gutierrez is shown on social media sporting a red shirt with Kaepernick’s former number of 7 and wearing a sign that says “will stand for food.” He also attached a hooked nose.
The costume has led to accusations of racism and prompted an apology from the police chief, reports Buzzfeed News.
“For those who have seen the Halloween costume of one of our officers apparently mocking a citizen who has chosen to take advantage of his constitutional right to protest, I offer my sincere apologies,” UNR Police Chief Adam Garcia said in a statement sent to media outlets. “Members of our profession are held to a higher standard and denigrating another — on or off duty — is insensitive for its lack of respect and lack understanding on how others may negatively view their actions and may be impacted.”
Garcia added: “Behavior such as this magnifies unsafe feelings and lack of trust in police, especially when that individual is responsible for the safety of all members of the University, regardless of color, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion,” Garcia said in his statement. “At a time when officers should be heightened in their attentiveness to the perception by our community, this act seems extremely out of touch with those sentiments and reflects poorly on all of us.”
The officer will not face disciplinary action, according to BuzzFeed News.
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