The U.S. Navy on Sunday announced it had begun an investigation into a video of dogs attacking a person dressed as Colin Kaepernick which took place during a 2019 fundraiser at the Navy SEALs Museum in Florida.
The Navy said it became aware of the video, which it shared, over the weekend when it resurfaced online.
“The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy,” reads a statement posted on the official Twitter account of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
The Navy said the “initial indications” appear to be no active-duty personnel or equipment were used in the demonstration at what was described as an “independent organization’s event.” In the video, a person in full body padding is wearing a red Kaepernick 49ers’ jersey. There are also comments made in the video that refer to Kaepernick peacefully protesting before games.
The former NFL star quarterback and activist was the first pro athlete to kneel during the National Anthem in protest of the treatment of minorities in the U.S. He was subsequently blackballed from NFL and vilified by President Donald Trump.
After the May 25 killing of George Floyd and global protests about racial inequality, the NFL apologized for its initial position on players peacefully protesting before games and commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged a team to sign Kaepernick.
