Pathetic. That's the word the Cleveland Patrolmen's Association President used to describe a t-shirt worn by the Cleveland Browns' Andrew Hawkins during team introductions in Sunday's game against the Bengals.
The t-shirt worn by the wide receiver read 'Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford' on the front and 'the real battle of Ohio' on the back. Both Rice and Crawford were shot by police officers after brandishing toy guns.
In a statement, police union president Jeff Follmer said, "It's pretty pathetic when athletes think they know the law. They should stick to what they know best on the field. The Cleveland police protect and serve the Browns stadium and the Browns organization owes us an apology."
Hawkins spoke to the media on Monday, explaining why he felt compelled to wear the shirt.
The Browns organization said they respect the Cleveland Police Department, but they ''also respect our players' rights to project their support and bring awareness to issues that are important to them if done so in a responsible manner.''
In the United States, the First Amendment protects an individual's right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom of speech.