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St. Louis Police Department Condemns Rams ‘Hands Up’ Gesture

By Cory Buck

Nov 30, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) puts his hands up to show support for Michael Brown before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) puts his hands up to show support for Michael Brown before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Police Department sent a scathing condemnation of Rams players who entered the field on Sunday with their hands up in support of Mike Brown.

When a small group of St. Louis Rams players entered the field prior to their 52-0 rout of the Oakland Raiders with their hands up, they likely meant is as a gesture of solidarity towards fellow members of the African-American community.

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The St. Louis Police Department, however, didn’t interpret the move as such, claiming the move diminished efforts made by enforcement to fight rioting in response to the exoneration of Officer Darren Wilson for shooting Mike Brown after an altercation in Ferguson, MO.

The St. Louis PD released a statement in response to the gestures:

“Five members of the Rams entered the field today exhibiting the ‘hands-up-don’t-shoot’ pose that has been adopted by protestors who accused Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson of murdering Michael Brown. The gesture has become synonymous with assertions that Michael Brown was innocent of any wrongdoing and attempting to surrender peacefully when Wilson, according to some now-discredited witnesses, gunned him down in cold blood.”

SLPOA Business Manager Jeff Roorda was irate as well.

“Now that the evidence is in and Officer Wilson’s account has been verified by physical and ballistic evidence as well as eye-witness testimony, which led the grand jury to conclude that no probable cause existed that Wilson engaged in any wrongdoing, it is unthinkable that hometown athletes would so publicly perpetuate a narrative that has been disproven over-and-over again.”

There’s no right answer here, but we offer our support to the police officers and citizens who have put their necks on the line to quell the riots and looting that took place in the wake of the grand jury verdict.

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