Browns running back Isaiah Crowell continued an effort to make amends for his controversial anti-police social media post by attending the funeral of Patrick Zamarripa, one of the five officers slain earlier this month by a gunman in Dallas.
Crowell went to the funeral Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, at the request of Sgt. Demetrick Pennie, president of the Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation.
On Monday, Pennie outlined his interaction with Crowell in a lengthy Facebook post.
“During the visit, he met with several police officers from across the country, who expressed their appreciation for him seeking forgiveness for his actions and having the courage to admit that he was wrong and making an attempt to redress the problem,” Pennie wrote in the post, which included a slideshow with several photographs of Crowell during the rendezvous.
“Crowell expressed his deepest condolences for the loss of our officers and stated that he would be willing to return in the future to assist the survivors in Dallas in honoring the sacrifices of their loved ones.”
Pennie wrote Crowell received “intense public shunning and even death threats” after he posted an illustration on Instagram of a masked man slashing the throat of an officer. The post came after police in Louisiana and Minnesota fatally shot black men Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and before officers in Dallas were attacked during a march protesting the killings.
Crowell deleted the post shortly after publishing it, but screenshots went viral.
Last week Crowell issued two apologies, one in a prepared statement and another in which he spoke on video. In the second apology, he vowed to donate his first game check, worth about $35,000, to the Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation.
Stephen Loomis, president of Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, told TMZ that the union accepted Crowell’s second apology and revoked his threat of officers refusing to patrol FirstEnergy Stadium during Browns home games this coming season.
But Pennie wrote he reached out to Crowell and “expressed a disinterest in his money.” Instead he invited Crowell to visit Texas and attend Zamarripa’s funeral because Pennie saw “an opportunity to educate him about the policing profession and the meaning of police service and sacrifice.”
Crowell didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation, according to Pennie’s post. He flew to Dallas overnight and met with Pennie. The day of the funeral they spent eight hours together. Crowell met with high-ranking police and politicians, including Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rob Kyker.
“Every police agency should take every opportunity available to bridge the gap between law enforcement and those with opposing viewpoints in the community because it is the only way to enhance understanding,” Pennie wrote.
“I am confident that the policing community now has a supporter in Mr. Crowell. Personally, I would like to commend Isaiah Crowell for the courage of principled accountability.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.