Green Bay Police in July forcibly handled AJ Dillon
AJ Dillon’s treatment by Green Bay Police made national headlines in July. Dillon greeted fans at an exhibition soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City at Lambeau Field this summer. A Green Bay Police officer used physical force against Dillon. A viral video of the altercation appeared shortly after the incident.
Per the Associated Press, Green Bay police chief Chris Davis offered Dillon an apology Friday and stated the officer involved was disciplined:
“I apologize to Mr. Dillon for the way he was treated,” Davis said. “We appreciate the strong relationship we have with the Packers organization, and the GBPD remains committed to working with them along with the entire Green Bay community to provide the best and most professional police service possible.”
Of interest to note, per the report, Davis did not specify the officer’s name nor what disciplinary action was taken for their actions towards Dillon.
The Packers also released a statement Friday, per the report.
“We respect their process in reviewing the situation and its conclusions,” the Packers said. “We value our partnership with the Department and appreciate all they do in working with the Packers to ensure public safety at Lambeau Field events, including gamedays.
“Additionally, we appreciate A.J. Dillon’s professionalism in handling the matter.”
Dillon took the high road in the situation
AJ Dillon handled the situation well. He Wrote on Twitter that the problem resulted because of miscommunication.
Just miscommunication between parties, the @GBPolice are great people and I’m glad we have them down there for our games to keep us safe. Standing there in the pouring rain with all those people it’s hard to know what’s going on with just one. All good 🤝🫶🏽 https://t.co/xCKPhoJlWK
— AJ Dillon (@ajdillon7) July 24, 2022
Other players might have returned the hostility, as his teammate safety Adrian Amos Tweeted after the incident. The Packers officer should have been more respectful to the man they were policing. There’s no reason the officer reacted with violence before talking to Dillon about what he needed to do. Although Dillon probably should have been given credentials by security officers before he went downfield to pump up the crowd during the weather delay. There were lessons to be learned here by both parties.