Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell has issued a public apology after he posted a graphic Instagram photo that has resulted in some calling for the team to cut him.
Crowell posted and later deleted a picture of a man with an American flag around his neck stabbing a police officer in the neck in gory detail. Like anything on the Internet, it lives on forever even though the running back realized how inappropriate it was. He originally posted the image in response to the killings of two black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, by police officers.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com provided context as to the timing of the image:
#Browns Isaiah Crowell’s posted the police officer photo on Wednesday afternoon, a source said. A day before the Dallas ambush.
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) July 11, 2016
Crowell released a statement Tuesday, per Cabot:
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.
Cleveland, per Cabot, won’t release Crowell over the incident:
The Browns have no plans to cut Isaiah Crowell, but they made it clear that actions must speak louder than words when it comes to his apology for an Instagram post depicting a police officer being stabbed in the neck by a person in a black hood.
Crowell led the Browns in rushing last year and figures to split time with Duke Johnson at the spot next season.
For now, Crowell won’t face punishment for the post. He’ll have to win back the organization and fans upset over the post, which he sounds ready to do based on the apology.
