“This should bother us all”

Authorities are seeking information about the brazen theft of a statue of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson from a public park in Wichita, Kansas.

A historically significant figure who transcended sports to break Major League Baseball's color barrier by becoming the first black player when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Robinson became an icon of the rights civilians whose legacy is celebrated to this day.

On Thursday, a pair of thieves made off with the beloved bronze statue that was displayed at McAdams Park, home of League 42, a local youth baseball league, as well as Jackie Robinson Pavilion.

The criminal act was captured on surveillance video that showed the pair fleeing with the statue they carved, leaving only the feet of the iconic cultural figure at the base. Some city officials suspect the statue will be sold for scrap.

(Video: KWCH 12 News)

“Overnight, our Jackie Robinson statue @League42ICT at McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it right above Jackie's shoes and took it off in a truck. Our organization is devastated. Me too,” Bob Lutz, founder of the League 42 Foundation, wrote to X.

During the night, our @League42ICT The Jackie Robinson statue in McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it right above Jackie's shoes and hauled it off in a truck. Our organization is devastated. Me too. pic.twitter.com/Rw81g6i0BF

— Bob Lutz (@boblutz) January 25, 2024

“We noticed it around noon today when I had left the building, I always look at the Jackie statue and I looked today and I didn't notice it or I couldn't see it,” Lutz said, according to CAKE. “This is a sacred place, this is a place where we honor a man who broke barriers and did things that had never been done before.”

During the night, @League42ICT The Jackie Robinson statue in McAdams Park was stolen. Someone cut it right above Jackie's shoes and hauled it off in a truck. Our community is devastated. pic.twitter.com/MWbJvwga0k

— Wichita Police (@WichitaPolice) January 25, 2024

“I am frustrated by the actions of those people who had the audacity to remove the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where children and families in our community gather to learn the story of Jackie Robinson, a Northern icon -American, and play the game of baseball,” Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan said during a press conference on Friday. “That should bother us all.”

Robinson's statue was stolen just days before the start of Black History Month, the annual recognition of black culture and contributions that, thanks to a leap year, gets an extra day in 2024 .

“What concerns me even more is that this robbery occurred right before the beginning of February, which marks the beginning of Black History Month,” Sullivan said. said. “Our city wants the statute returned. We also want the people who stole a treasure from our community to be held accountable for their actions.”

Brandon Johnson, a member of the Wichita City Council, said the theft of Robinson's statue was “horrific” and “disgusting,” suggesting that vigilante justice could be a possibility.

“A lot of people want to find these people before law enforcement,” Johnson said. seconds in the Associated Press. “So again, like the chief and the (district attorney) said, if you have that statue, bring it in today. Now.”

“Once the statue is returned, we also want to hold the people who stole a treasure from our community accountable for their actions,” Chief Sullivan said. “And I assure you they will. The resources of the Wichita Police Department have been mobilized.”

The Wichita Metro Crime Commission has offered a reward of up to $2,500 for tips if they lead to arrests and an additional $5,000 if they lead to the recovery of the statue.

Staff writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary, ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who despise our hard-won freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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