Police Abandon Lynx Game After Players Show Support of Black Lives Matter

Minneapolis, MN – Four Minneapolis police officers working the Minnesota Lynx game at Target Center Saturday walked off the job after the players showed support for Black Lives Matter.

The Star Tribune reported that the incident occurred after the Lynx, three-time WNBA champions, held a news conference denouncing racial profiling and wore pregame warm-up jerseys that read "Change Starts with Us – Justice & Accountability."

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On the back, the shirts read, “Black Lives Matter” and included the names of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, two black men shot and killed by police officers last week.

"If [the players] are going to keep their stance, all officers may refuse to work there," Kroll added after being asked if other officers will fill in for those who quit.

Asked about a report that more than four officers had walked off the job, Kroll said, "They only have four officers working the event because the Lynx have such a pathetic draw."

At the pregame news conference, Lynx captain Rebekkah Brunson said the players were "wearing shirts to honor and mourn the loss of precious American citizens and to plead change for all of us."

"The divide is way too big between our communities and those who have vowed to serve and protect us."

Speaking of an incident when she was 8, Brunson said, "I can remember one day, when we were doing what children do, playing, there were two police officers that showed up, guns drawn, pointing them at us for no apparent reason."

The Minnesota Lynx released a statement Tuesday following the news of the police officers who left Saturday's game:

"The Lynx organization was made aware about the concerns of the off duty Minneapolis police officers who had signed up to work Saturday night’s game vs. Dallas. While our players message mourned the loss of life due to last week's shootings, we respect the right of those individual officers to express their own beliefs in their own way. At no time was the safety of our game in question as Target Center staffs extra personnel for each and every game. The Lynx and the entire WNBA have been saddened by the recent shootings in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and St. Paul. We continue to urge a constructive discussion about the issues raised by these tragedies."

Image credit: Michael Hicks via Flickr /Creative Commons