The St. Louis Rams haven’t apologized for the “Hands up, don’t shoot” gesture made by five of their players while taking the field at a recent game — but they have decided to donate some money to a police organization.
The Rams are reportedly set to donate to BackStoppers, a nonprofit group that assists families of police officers and others who work in the public sector who are killed during the line of duty, Mediaite reported.
Ron Battelle, executive director of BackStoppers, said the Rams had contacted his group, but he declined to disclose what amount of donation was pledged, Mediaite reported.
The Rams ignited some controversy with their players’ show of solidarity with the Ferguson-area protesters, who have been rallying in recent weeks for Michael Brown, the teen who was shot and killed by officer Darren Wilson.
The St. Louis Police Officers Association actually demanded the team apologize, saying the players’ public “Hands up, don’t shoot” gesture was inappropriate and fueled tensions between communities and police.
The Rams refused to apologize, while at least one of the players who took part in the pregame protest said it wasn’t staged as a way to criticize police, Mediaite reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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