Richmond cops slam chief for holding 'Black lives matter' sign
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus, who gained nationwide attention for holding a sign reading “Black lives matter” at a peaceful protest in his city, was criticized by his department’s rank-and-file Friday for doing so in uniform.
The Richmond Police Officers Association said members were not upset by the message, but by the fact that Magnus was wearing his uniform when he attended a Tuesday demonstration on Macdonald Avenue. The message on his sign is one of the rallying cries that emerged after grand juries in Missouri and New York declined to indict white police officers for killing two unarmed black men.
... Alison Berry Wilkinson, an attorney for the Richmond police union, said Friday that the chief, like anyone else, has a First Amendment right to free speech. But state law explicitly bars him from sending a message while in uniform.
... Magnus said Friday, “When did it become a political act to acknowledge that 'black lives matter’ and show respect for the very real concerns of our minority communities? This should not be about 'us versus them.’ It should be about finding ways to build bridges and address the schism that exists between many of our residents and police.”
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Richmond-cops-slam-chief-for-holding-Black-lives-5953636.php
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