Warriors quickly cut ties with Suhr

By Nigel Flores

The Golden State Warriors basketball organization recently hired, and quickly fired, former San Francisco police chief Greg Suhr who worked as a security consultant.

Suhr was allegedly hired to help the team organize its ground-breaking ceremony of the team’s new arena in San Francisco.

The decision quickly came under fire on social media because of Suhr’s history as a controversial police chief.

Suhr was asked to step down from his post about 7 months ago after several shootings involving his officers, including an incident that left Jessica Williams dead on May 19, 2016.

Williams was shot and killed by San Francisco police after allegedly fleeing from officers in a stolen vehicle.

Suhr’s tenure as police chief was also marred by a discovery that members of the force exchanged homophobic and racist text messages.

Many were critical of the move, including Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala who tweeted, “On it…”, shortly after the announcement. Iguodala was apparently referring to an effort to remove Suhr as a consultant.

Selassie Blackwell, a San Francisco hip-hop who engaged in a hunger strike over Suhr’s actions as SFPD chief, told the San Francisco Chronicle, “I don’t want to throw the Warriors under the bus, but I think everyone in the Bay Area knows who Greg Suhr is. It rings a bell in everyone’s mind. Why would the Warriors hire him with his spotty record as a police chief?”

Mere hours after the Warriors announced the hiring of Suhr, the team cut ties with the former chief.

“The last thing I want to do is cause a distraction for the Warriors during this incredibly positive time for the team and organization,” Suhr said in a statement. “I think this is in the best interest of everyone.”