Derek Carr says hand on Khalil Mack’s shoulder a display of unity, not a protest

Saturday’s preseason action featured several notable players on the Raiders roster making silent statements during the national anthem. Running back Marshawn Lynch sat during the national anthem for the second time this preseason. For the first time, quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end Khalil Mack were part of the display.

During the anthem, Carr and Mack stood in a prominent spot on the edge of the field, with Carr’s arm clearly draped over Mack’s shoulder during the full anthem. 

After the game, Carr and Mack discussed the decision to stand side-by-side and had a powerful message about their decision: they are “best friends” and wanted to show the world it is perfectly acceptable for people of different races to get along. 

“What we wanted to do is show all the kids that look up to me, that look up to him that white kids, black kids, brown kids — blue, green; it doesn’t matter — can all be loving to each other,” Carr said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That’s what me and Khalil are. We’re best friends, and we love one another. The only reason we did that was to unify people and unify the people that look up to us.”

Carr emphasized the decision was not a protest but a statement of unity between two people from different backgrounds.

“Obviously, we see what’s going on in the world. And obviously, everybody pays attention to the national anthem nowadays,” Carr said. “We just said, ‘This is the best time to do it while still honoring our country,’ because I love our country more than anything. We’re free to live here and play this game. But we’re also free to show each other that we love one another. That’s the only message we were trying to send.”

Mack added similar sentiments, noting he doesn’t “like the attention” that comes with doing such things, but using “my platform for positivity” and “togetherness” are important enough to him to make a public statement like he did on Saturday night.

“To show [that] different races can get along, white, black, whatever you are, get along and be friends and … just show unity,” Mack said. “Show togetherness. It’s discussed a lot. It’s one of the things I feel passionately about, but I just don’t like the attention, the attention that comes with it. But at the same time, just using my platform for positivity is what’s important for me.”

Carr and Mack were part of the same draft class in 2014, with Mack going to the Raiders in the first round and Carr coming in second. They are the lynchpins for the Raiders on each side of the ball. Mack is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and the engine that makes the defense go. Landing Carr in the second round is the primary reason why the Raiders turned things around so quickly under Reggie McKenzie and Jack Del Rio. Carr is locked in for the long haul with an expensive contract and Mack eventually will be as well. 

They are also the primary leaders on this Raiders team. And it showed in an impressive way on Saturday as they provided a positive message that everyone needs to hear right now.

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No bond for suspect in officers’ fatal shooting in Fla.

A suspect in the fatal shooting of two police officers in Florida will be staying in jail after a judge denied him bond Sunday, saying there was probable cause for his first-degree murder charge

Everett Miller wore handcuffs and shackles during a first-appearance hearing that lasted a minute and a half. When it was over, he said, “Thank you, your honor.”

Miller, 45, also is facing charges of resisting arrest and carrying a concealed weapon. Other charges likely will be filed.

Sgt. Sam Howard of the Kissimmee Police Department died Saturday afternoon at a hospital where he had been taken following Friday night’s attack in Kissimmee, Florida, located south of the theme park hub of Orlando. Officer Matthew Baxter died Friday night.

Meanwhile, detectives said they were looking for a person of interest as they proceed in their investigation.

Detectives emphasized that Maribel Gonzales King is not a suspect, but they said she was known to frequent the neighborhood where the police officers were shot Friday night. They were seeking the public’s help in locating her.

During a patrol late Friday of a neighborhood with a history of drug activity, Baxter was “checking out” three people, including Miller, when the officer got into a scuffle with Miller. Howard, his sergeant, responded as backup, said Kissimmee Police Chief Jeff O’Dell.

The officers didn’t have an opportunity to return fire.

Sheriff’s deputies with a neighboring law enforcement agency later tracked Miller down to a bar and approached him. Miller started reaching toward his waistband when the deputies tackled and subdued him, O’Dell said. They found a handgun and revolver on him.

Miller, 45, was a Marine veteran and was recently involuntarily committed for a mental evaluation by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. The early stages of the investigation shows that Miller had made threats to law enforcement on Facebook, O’Dell said.

Baxter, 27, had been with the Kissimmee Police Department for three years. He was married to another Kissimmee police officer and they have four children.

Howard, 36, has served with the Kissimmee Police Department for 10 years. He and his wife have one child.

The officers were fatally shot in a district where the top prosecutor says she will no longer seek the death penalty. State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced earlier this year that she wouldn’t seek the death penalty, explaining it’s not a deterrent and it drags on for years for the victims’ relatives. The announcement came as her office was building a case against Markeith Loyd, who is charged with the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police lieutenant.

But Gov. Rick Scott on Saturday evening issued an executive order removing the case from Ayala and reassigning it.

Scott and Ayala are in a legal battle over the matter before the Florida Supreme Court. Ayala argues Scott is overstepping his authority by taking away cases eligible for the death penalty. The high court has yet to make a ruling.

A spokeswoman for Ayala didn’t respond to an email inquiry seeking comment.

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