New York Jets' defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson expressed his support for five players from the St. Louis Rams who made the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture while walking onto the field ahead of last Sunday's game. Richardson, a St. Louis native who grew up 10 minutes from Ferguson, expressed his frustration and sadness over the Michael Brown shooting by then-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in an interview with the New York Daily News this week.
Jets’ DL Sheldon Richardson says ‘Darren Wilson is a pig’
The New York Jets’ defensive lineman, who grew up in St. Louis, expressed some strong feelings about the officer who shot Michael Brown and the tension between police and citizens in his hometown.
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“Darren Wilson is a pig. I’m not talking about all cops. I’m just talking about one in particular.”
Richardson went further, discussing the long-simmering tension between police officers and residents in his hometown.
”They’re just fed up with that. They’re fed up with being wrongfully profiled. That’s been happening. ,,, It’s usually his word against the officer’s. But Mike Brown’s dead, so we’ll (never know) his word.
“I’ve never had trust for them too much anyway really. I’ve never depended on police officers. My Second Amendment rights in my household have always been used.”
He also condemned looting following a grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson, but acknowledged the pattern of injustice feeds into the outrage, driving that behavior.
The Jets’ first-round pick in 2013, who played college football at Missouri, defended his fellow NFL players who made the “Hands Up” gesture as they were introduced, telling the Daily News he was “happy about someone else taking a stand.” He also defended the right of players to express their opinion through peaceful protest.
“I stand for what I stand for. I’m from St. Louis. I know how people act there. I’m used to it. I’m not going to change who I am because I got a fan base now.”
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