Even decades after his retirement from the game of baseball, the impact Jackie Robinson had across the entire sports landscape cannot be forgotten. In breaking the color barrier, Robinson instantly became an icon. While many other top athletes would have caved to the pressure on their shoulders, Robinson didn’t. He thrived.
While Robinson hasn’t played in an MLB game since 1956, the Baseball Hall of Fame member is one of the most respected athletes in sports history. Yet, that didn’t stop a group of thieves from disrespecting one of the many monuments built to remember his greatness.
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Jackie Robinson statue cut down at the ankles, robbers still at large
According to Wichita Police, someone made away with a Jackie Robinson statue that was affixed to a special platform located at a public park in Kansas. Thieves sliced the statue off just above the feet, and hauled away with the iconic memorial piece in an unknown truck.
Now, local authorities are asking for help in solving this crime that has left the Wichita community ‘devastated.’
“I’m frustrated by the actions of those individuals who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where kids and families in our community gather to learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball. This should upset all of us.”
Wichita police chief Joe Sullivan on Jackie Robinson statue theft
While a surveillance video shows two individuals making away with the sculpture, a lack of daylight has left investigators looking for answers. Wichita police first revealed that the statue was missing on Thursday morning with a public Facebook post.
The sculpture has only existed since 2021, after League 42, a Little League nonprofit organization, paid roughly $50,000 to have the piece constructed. McAdams Park was the site where the statue stood, where an estimated 600 children play in the youth baseball league.
Police are asking anyone with knowledge of the situation to call investigators at 316-268-4407. The Wichita Metro Crime Commission is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for any tip that leads to an arrest and another $5,000 for any information that leads to the recovery of the statue.
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