Washington Commanders was accused of invoking its running back, Brian Robinson’s shooting when talking about the District of Columbia attorney general making a “major announcement” regarding the team.
Ryan Williams, who represents Robinson for Athletes First, took issue with the fact that the spokesperson for the team bashed AG Karl Racine for focusing on the organization rather than crime in the D.C. area, including the shooting of Commanders running back.
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“Up until an hour ago, the Commanders handled the Brian Robinson situation with so much care, sincerity and class. And I was so grateful for all of it,” Williams wrote in a tweet.
“Although I know that there are some great humans in that building, whoever is hiding behind this statement is not one of them.”
Racine’s office has been investigating the Commanders for more than six months over allegations that the organization engaged in financial improprieties. A criminal investigation into the allegations has also been opened by the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia. On Wednesday Racine announced he will hold a conference Thursday to “make a major announcement related to the Washington Commanders.”
After Racine’s announcement, a Commanders spokesperson wrote in response, “Less than three months ago, a 23-year-old player on our team was shot multiple times, in broad daylight. Despite the out-of-control violent crime in DC, today the Washington Commanders learned for the first time on Twitter that the D.C. Attorney General will be holding a press conference to ‘make a major announcement’ related to the organization tomorrow.”
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The statement was referring to
Robinson, who was shot twice in the right leg during a robbery attempt in August while going to a restaurant in D.C. Recently, a juvenile suspect was arrested in the shooting.
After the incident, he required surgery on his right knee. However, he did not suffer any internal damage and as result, was able to play in a game six weeks later in the 2022 season.
Commanders president Jason Wright said that the statement “expressed our external counsel’s ongoing frustration with the Attorney General’s office, as they have been nothing but earnest and transparent in their communications with his team.” However, he did note that the lawyers’ frustrations “should have been separate and apart from referencing the terrible crime that affected our player.”
