Florida's Navy SEAL Museum Under Investigation For Using Colin Kaepernick Jersey As Prop In K9 Attack Demonstration
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami/AP) — The U.S. Navy has launched an investigation into a K-9 demonstration where dogs attacked a man wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey as a prop, during a 2019 fundraiser at the Navy Seals Museum in Florida.
The Navy said in a statement posted on Twitter that officials became aware of the video on Sunday.
Kaepernick is a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who began kneeling during the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner" before games to protest social injustice and police brutality. He played his final NFL game in January 2017. He offered support to those protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May, and the NFL's commissioner has apologized for not listening earlier to players' concerns about social injustice.
The videos show four dogs attacking a man, who is wearing a red Kaepernick football jersey over heavily padded gear as people stand nearby watching.
In a second video, the man is laying on the ground when he's approached by men wearing fatigues and holding rifles, saying, "On your belly." The man replies, "Oh, man, I will stand," as he rolls over, followed by laughing from the crowd.
The videos were apparently posted on Instagram last year and resurfaced over the weekend.
"The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy," the statement said.
The Navy said the "initial indications" are that no active duty personnel or equipment were used in the demonstration at the "independent organization's event."
The Navy Seals Museum is located in Fort Pierce, just north of West Palm Beach.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
