Statue of baseball great, Jackie Robinson, stolen in U. S.
ASTATUE of baseball legend Jackie Robinson that stood at a park in Wichita, United States has been stolen at the weekend, police and city officials said.
The bronze statue was cut at the ankles and hauled away in a truck, according to the Wichita Police.
The incident has angered the local community. Other than the sheer historical significance of Robinson — the first Black major leaguer who broke the sport’s colour barrier — the statue was stolen from Mcadams Park, home of League 42, a youth league named after Robinson’s jersey number.
The theft also came days before Black History Month, which starts Thursday. “No matter the motivation of those who were involved, they were not only stealing from the community, they’re also stealing from the legacy of work that has been put in by members of League 42,” Brandon Johnson, a member of Wichita city council, told reporters.
Mcadams Park is known for recognizing influential African Americans. Besides hosting Robinson statue, the park is named after Emerson Mcadams, an ex- Black city official. It renamed its community center after Carl Brewer, the city’s first Black mayor who served 2007 to 2015.
The Wichita Metro Crime is offering a $ 2,500 reward for a tip that leads to an arrest, and an additional $ 5,000 for a tip that leads to the recovery of the statue.
“I’m frustrated by the actions of those who had the audacity to take the statue of Robinson from a park where kids and families gather to learn the history of an icon,” Joe Sullivan, the Wichita police chief, said.