The chief of the police department for the University of Nevada, Reno, has issued an apology after a member of his force wore a Colin Kaepernick Halloween costume that was completely out of bounds.
The officer, Antonio Gutierrez, wore a Kaepernick jersey as well as an afro wig and a fake nose to complete the look, with a sign around his neck reading, “Will stand for food” — a low blow reference to the fact that Kaepernick has not been signed since kicking off the #TakeAKnee protests currently sweeping the NFL.
Obviously, the costume set off a wave of criticism, and Chief Adam Garcia responded with condemnation in a statement, saying, “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.”
hey @unevadareno! one of your officers, Antonio Gutierrez, decided to go as a racist portrayal of #Kaep last night. this isn’t ok!! pic.twitter.com/eCnYFcauxn
— ✨(202) 224 – 3121✨ (@glaserface) October 29, 2017
“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 of understanding on how others may negatively view their actions and may be impacted,” Garcia continued.
However, when asked whether or not the officer was disciplined over the Halloween costume, Garcia explained, “We have no policy that would dictate any disciplinary action.”