RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Police in Virginia say a police memorial statue has been vandalized with a message referring to the recent fatal police shooting of a black man in Louisiana.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/29DOvJE ) that Richmond Police Deputy Chief Steve Drew says a passer-by reported the vandalism in Byrd Park about 7 a.m. Wednesday. A large red X is spray-painted on the torso of the statue of an officer carrying a child. “Justice for Alton” is written on the ground by the statue, an apparent reference to 37-year-old Alton Sterling of Baton Rogue.
In recent days, the statue has become a makeshift memorial to the five officers killed in Dallas, with bouquets left at the base and one in the statue’s hand.
Drew says the statue is expected to be restored in the next 24 hours.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
