A Jackie Robinson statue at League 42 fields in Wichita, Kansas was cut down on Wednesday. According to KWCH, vandals tore down the statue and drove off with it in a truck, and authorities are still investigating the incident.
The Robinson statue, which now consists of just a pair of cleats, stands outside of the League 42 youth baseball fields in Wichita. League 42 CEO Bob Lutz started the program in 2013, renovating McAdams Park in hopes of making baseball more accessible to people from all walks of life.
The statue itself was erected in 2021 when the Jackie Robinson Pavilion was constructed. Surveillance footage showed a brown truck pulling up to the statue and “at least two people” working to tear the statue down before hauling it away.
“I’m still trying to process the fact that it’s gone, but we’ll do everything in our power to continue to honor Jackie Robinson in this community, and have the support of the community,” Lutz told KWCH.
League 42 is now trying to find the mold for a new statue. Meanwhile, law enforcement is still working to find the suspects and is asking for help from anyone who might have knowledge of the crime.
