New York Jet Condemns Shooting of NYPD Officers

An athlete for the New York Jets NFL team has condemned the recent killing that left two New York City policemen dead.

Sheldon Richardson, defensive lineman for the New York Jets, said following his team's loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday that he doesn't support the recent shooting of two innocent police officers in New York City.

Richardson was previously critical of the New York City Police Department following the July chokehold death of unarmed man Eric Gardner. Despite comments he's made on social media, Richardson confirmed Sunday that he only condones peaceful protest.

 "Some innocent blood was spilled," Richardson said following his team's Sunday loss. "I'm not with that at all. That's the message that I'm trying to get across. It's sad, real sad that two officers lost their lives and can't go home to their families. It's just tough, man."

"I don't know the guy, I don't know the perp," Richardson said. "I just heard that two officers lost their lives sitting in their car. I'm with the peaceful protests and stuff like that, defending your rights. [...] That's not the way to go, murdering innocent cops."

Two policemen, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, were killed Saturday while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn, New York. The two officers were killed by suspect Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a 28-year-old African American man who took to social media to decry the deaths of Gardner and unarmed teen Michael Brown, saying he was planning on putting "wings on pigs" as a sign of retribution for the deaths.