An NFL player is apologizing after he posted an image on Instagram of a man in black slitting a police officer’s throat.
The following image was posted and later deleted by Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell, 23.
Under the Instagram image showing blood spilling from the officer’s neck, Crowell wrote, “Mood: They give polices [sic] all types of weapons and they continuously choose to kill us … #Weak.”
WCBS-TV noted that the man in black resembles ISIS terrorist Jihadi John who is known for appearing in online videos in which he is shown beheading American and British victims. The man in the Instagram photo is cloaked completely in black and wears an ANKH pendant around his neck.
According to Cleveland.com, Crowell posted the image after Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were shot and killed by police officers.
However, Crowell’s post went up prior to the sniper killings of five police officers in Dallas, Texas, by a black nationalist on Thursday.
“Last week was an emotional and difficult week as we saw extreme acts of violence against black men across our country as well as against police officers in Dallas. I posted an image to Instagram in the midst of that emotion that I shouldn’t have and immediately removed it. It was an extremely poor decision and I apologize for that mistake and for offending people. My values and beliefs do not match that image,” Crowell said in a statement posted on Twitter Monday evening.
He continued,”I am outraged and upset by the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile along with so many others. I am also outraged and saddened by the attacks in Dallas and the deaths of the 5 honorable police officers (Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson, and Patrick Zamarripa) who were providing protection while trying to keep peace. We have to be better as a society, it’s not about color, it’s about what’s right and wrong. I was very wrong in posting that image. Every single life matters, every death as a result of violence should be treated with equal outrage and penalty.”
Cleveland.com reported that Crowell’s agents and the NFL haven’t returned requests for comment.
A statement from an unnamed Cleveland Browns spokesman posted on Twitter read, “We have spoken to Isaiah regarding his extremely disturbing and unacceptable social media decision, It was completely inappropriate and we have made him aware of our high level of disappointment. Isaiah has apologized but also knows that just an apology is insufficient and that he must take steps to make a positive difference after a very negative and impactful post.”