The St. Louis Rams and the St. Louis County Police Department aren’t on the same page.
On Monday night, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar sent an email to his staff claiming that St. Louis Rams vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff called him to apologize for the Rams players who took the field Sunday with the “hands up” gesture, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Shortly after the email was sent, though, Demoff acknowledged that while he spoke with St. Louis area police officials, he never apologized for the actions of his players, the Post-Dispatch reports.
“In none of these conversations did I apologize for our players’ actions,” Demoff said. “I did say in each conversation that I regretted any offense their officers may have taken. We do believe it is possible to both support our players’ First Amendment rights and support the efforts of local law enforcement as our community begins the process of healing.”
The St. Louis Police Officers Association issued a statement condemning the actions of the players who protested the decision and requested that the NFL take disciplinary action. Their request was denied and the players will reportedly not be punished for expressing their opinion on the controversial ruling.
Photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
