It wasn’t exactly blackface, but a police officer’s Halloween party get-up mocking Colin Kaepernick triggered a flurry of negative responses. University of Nevada, Reno officer Antonio Gutierrez dressed as the free agent quarterback and a photo that circulated over the weekend prompted the department to issue an apology.
BuzzFeed News reports:
Over the weekend, photos started circulating across social media showing UNR Police Officer Antonio Gutierrez dressed in a wig and a hooked nose, his face painted with a black beard, sporting a homemade 49ers jersey with a “will stand for food” sign. Kaepernick, who is credited with starting the kneeling protests during the national anthem, played football at UNR and is among the school’s most famous recent graduates.
“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,” UNR Police Chief Adam Garcia said in a statement. “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 understanding on how others may negatively view their actions and may be impacted.”
Officials at the department further stated that Gutierrez will not face further discipline.
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