WATCH: Jeff Roorda explains the position of the St. Louis Police Association.
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Police Officers Association wants the NFL to publicly apologize and discipline the five Rams players who stood with their hands raised before Sunday’s game.
The ex-cop making the demand on the association’s behalf – fired a decade ago for falsifying reports – is also raising money for the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown.
It was an apparent show of solidarity with Ferguson protesters in the wake of a grand jury’s decision not to indict the white officer who shot and killed Brown, who was black. Some witnesses said Brown had his hands up before being shot by officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Wilson testified to the grand jury that Brown hit him and reached for his gun.
READ MORE: Why Darren Wilson wasn’t indicted for shooting Michael Brown
WATCH: Rams players comment on “Don’t Shoot” Ferguson statement during game
Before pregame introductions on Sunday, wide receivers Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt came out together with their hands raised, followed by Stedman Bailey, Jared Cook and Chris Givens.
The officers’ association released a statement Sunday that said it was “profoundly disappointed” with the players, whose gesture it considered “tasteless, offensive and inflammatory.”
Roorda is a Democratic member of the Missouri House of Representatives and former police officer in the nearby city of Arnold. He was fired in 2001, accused of filing a report containing false statements against a suspect in 1997 in an attempt to “cover” for a fellow officer, and filing false statements against his police chief in 2001 when he was denied full sick pay while on paternity leave, according to court records.
WATCH: The latest protest over the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri played out on the football field Sunday. And later Monday President Obama will meet with his cabinet, civil rights leaders and law enforcement members at the White House, to discuss issues that have gained national attention because of events in the city. Susan McGinnis reports.
He is also helping handle Wilson’s fundraising efforts, according to the Los Angeles Times.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy provided a one-sentence response to a request for comment to the group’s statement.
“We respect and understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation,” he said in an email Monday.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he wasn’t aware the gesture had been planned by the players, who are all black.
“I just think there has to be a change,” tight end Jared Cook said after the Rams’ 52-0 rout. “There has to be a change that starts with the people that are most influential around the world.”
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