US police dress inmates in Nike shirts, deny it's related to NFL protester
A sheriff's department in Arkansas, USA, denies forcing inmates to wear Nike shirts during their mugshots to mock the sportswear manufacturer’s support of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Columnist and activist Shaun King shared a collage of 12 inmates wearing Nike shirts on social media channels, claiming it was intended to mock the sidelined gridiron star and Nike.
In the photos shared online, recently booked inmates are shown with Nike shirts. In many examples they are placed over clothing the inmates were already wearing.
Union County Sheriff Ricky Roberts has denied any malicious intent. He said police would never "demean or disparage" anyone accused of a crime and the shirts were used for individuals who lacked “proper attire”.
“I require that my staff treat everyone with the utmost dignity and respect,” Sheriff Roberts said in a statement. "We are not, and will not, be influenced by current political and social debates in the media.”
He apologised for offence that the mugshots caused and ended the use of the shirts.
Nike copped a backlash and calls for boycotts from some sections of the US public when it made Kaepernick the star of its campaign to celebrate 30 years of its Just Do It slogan this year.
Kaepernick was the most prominent NFL player involved in the protests against the US National Anthem before games. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has since not been picked up by a team and is suing the NFL for what he says is collusion against him to keep him out of the sport.
