CA Police Chief Defends Joining Protest Against Police Brutality

A California police chief is defending his decision to join a protest against police brutality while in uniform (a move that earned him condemnation from a police union). Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus said, “I would do it again. I would like to be a little more prepared for, perhaps, the fallout.”

Magnus had held up a sign reading “#BlackLivesMatter.” He said he thought that to be pretty innocuous, since “the idea that black lives matter is something that I think we all should be able to agree on.”

The Richmond Police Officers Association released a statement condemning Magnus for engaging in political activity while in uniform. In response, Magnus said, “It certainly wasn’t intended to be a political statement, it was intended to be a human statement.”

When asked if he would be okay with officers showing support for Officer Darren Wilson, Magnus insisted that would be wrong because his gesture was about building bridges; the other would be about tearing them down.

Watch the video below, via KPIX 5:

[image via Ken Wolter/Shutterstock]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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