Two Black Chicago cops reprimanded for taking a knee with raised fist
Two Chicago police officers are facing reprimands after they were photographed kneeling alongside an activist in what she called a show of support for NFL players protesting police brutality and racism.
The pic, shared on Instagram Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, by activist Aleta Clark, shows her flanked by two Black, uniformed officers, all on one knee with a fist in the air.
She captioned the shot: “That Moment when you walk into the police station and ask the Men of Color are they Against Police Brutality and Racism & they say Yes… then you ask them if they support Colin Kaepernick (sic)… and they also say yes… then you ask them to Kneel!”
Chicago Police Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the officers will be reprimanded for violating the department’s code of conduct, which prohibits officers from participating in a “partisan political campaign or activity.”
“We are aware of the photo, and we will address it in the same way we have handled previous incidents in which officers have made political statements while in uniform, with a reprimand and a reminder of department policies,” said Guglielmi.
On Sunday, players across the NFL knelt during the national anthem in protest of remarks Donald Trump made at a rally in Alabama over the weekend.
