Two Chicago police officers who took a knee alongside a community activist Sunday are now being reprimanded for their actions after a photo of the incident circulated the Internet.
A local community activist walked into several police stations in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood asking whether the officers supported the NFL players who protested Trump by kneeling for the national anthem, Fox 35 Chicago reported.
“I asked them, ‘Are you against racism?’ They said yes, I said, ‘Are you against police brutality?’ They said yes. I said ‘Do you support Colin Kaepernick’s decision?’ They said yes,” said activist Aleta Clark.
Clark said she convinced two officers at Chicago Police Department’s District 6 precinct to kneel alongside her inside the station while in uniform.
“I think that what they did was heroic,” said Clark.
Clark posted the photo of the two officers kneeling beside her with fists raised in the air on Instagram with the following caption:
That Moment when you walk into the police station and ask the Men of Color are they Against Police Brutality and Racism & they say Yes… then you ask them if they support Colin Kapernick [sic] … and they also say yes… then you ask them to Kneel!
The photo was one of many photos Clark took that day of Chicago residents taking a knee in support of football players like ex-San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick and other NFL protesters who knelt in protest of the national anthem.
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) says they are investigating the photo and that the officers will be “reprimanded” for engaging in political activity “while in uniform,” according to CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
“We are aware of the photo, and we will address it in the same way we have handled previous incidents in which officers have made political statements while in uniform, with a reprimand and a reminder of department policies,” he said.
CPD’s policy states that officers cannot engage in political activity while on duty.
Even though the officers will be reprimanded, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel declined to denounce the police officers for violating CPD’s policy.