Statue of New York Baseball Pioneer Burned, Hate Crime Implications Possible

A statue of Jackie Robinson, located in Wichita, Ks., was destroyed by vandals last week, and the charred remains of the statue were only recently discovered. We have the latest updates on this horrible act, and the hateful intentions that may have been behind it.

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Jackie Robinson Statue Burned, Discovered in Nearby Trash Can This Week

A story from The Associated Press informed us of an act of arson and vandalism last week in the city of Wichita, Ks., wherein perpetrators destroyed a bronze statue of baseball pioneer, Jackie Robinson.

The statue went missing on Thursday of last week. Perpetrators removed the body of the statue from the feet/base by severing the ankles, and proceeded to take it away. It was not seen again until Tuesday of this week, when fire crews were called to Garvey Park to deal with a trash can that had been lit on fire.

Unfortunately, pieces of the statue were found inside that can. Here's the surveillance video of the act in progress:

Bob Lutz, Executive Director of the Little League nonprofit that commissioned the sculpture, had this to say:

“If it turns out it was racially motivated, then obviously that is a deeper societal issue and it certainly would make this a much more concerning theft. We’ll wait and see what this turns out to be.” - Bob Lutz via The Associated Press

Check out this piece, published by The Associated Press:

The remaining pieces were deemed not salvageable by a source. The statue cost roughly $50,000 to be constructed, and was installed in 2021 in nearby McAdams Park, according to The AP. Arrests are expected to be made, per Wichita police Chief Joe Sullivan.

Robinson is credited with breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier, when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He played with Brooklyn from 1947 to 1956, and finished with a career batting average of .313.

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, and passed away in 1972, at the age of 53.