Responding to the horrific massacre at country western concert in Las Vegas Sunday night, the head of Miami’s police union compared the lone gunman attack to NFL players protesting police brutality.
According to the Miami New Times, Lt. Javier Ortiz, the head of Miami’s Fraternal Order of Police, was on Twitter early Monday morning making the strained connection.
Posting a photo of Las Vegas police rushing to help victims of the shooting committed by 64-year-old Stephen Craig Paddock, of Mesquite, Nevada, alongside a picture of NFL players kneeling on the sidelines, Ortiz wrote: “Two groups of people, one in Seattle, one in Vegas, chose to take action last night in their own way…. We support the #POLICE”
According to the New Times, Ortiz was asked to explain the tweet, with the Miami cop replying by text message, “While NFL players express a false perception of police officers by inciting hate and division by disrespecting the U.S. flag, the reality is law enforcement risks their lives every day for America.”
Prior to the NFL tweet, Ortiz called for more “militarized equipment,” for police “in order to protect the innocent from evil.”
The so-called “anthem protests” have once again become a hot topic after President Donald Trump called ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick a “son of a bitch” for taking a knee in protest of police brutality that overwhelmingly afflicts young black men.
You can see the tweets below:
Two groups of people, one in Seattle, one in Vegas, chose to take action last night in their own way…. We support the #POLICE pic.twitter.com/2S8WkpWvXl
— Miami FOP 20 (@MiamiFOP20) 2. listopada 2017.
Prayers to the victims. This is why #POLICE need militarized equipment, in order to protect the innocent from evil. https://t.co/5HYJWDgkBE
— Miami FOP 20 (@MiamiFOP20) 2. listopada 2017.