Statue of Jackie Robinson stolen in Kansas
Vandals got away with a brazen theft that has angered many in Kansas where an American icon once roamed the baseball diamond.
A statue of Jackie Robinson was stolen from a public park in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday, sparking a search by police on Friday.
According to Wichita Police, surveillance video showed the theft, with the two assailants cutting the statue at its ankles and leaving only Robinson's feet.
While there are countless homages to Robinson, those that reside in the places he once played and called home have a special reverence.
After a stellar collegiate career at UCLA and a difficult two-year stint in the U.S. Army, Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. He played only 47 games for the team in 1945, but Brooklyn Dodgers president and general manager Branch Rickey had scouted him among several others with the aim of bringing a Black player into Major League Baseball.
Robinson eventually signed a deal with the Dodgers, and after spending one year with their farm team, the Montreal Royals, Robinson was called up to the big club in 1947, making him the first Black player to play on MLB in the modern era.
Robinson had to contend with virulent racism both on and off the field, but his brilliant play and even more astounding mettle made him an incomparable legend in American history.
As of press time, no updates have been provided. According to ESPN's report, the city's crime commission is offering $2,500 for tips leading to an arrest and $5,000 for tips that lead to recovery of the statue.
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