Texas Police and Firefighters Memorial Defaced With Graffiti

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial was vandalized sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, according to a Facebook post on the Fort Worth Police Officers’ Association’s page.

According to photos accompanying the post, the letters BLM, which stands for Black Lives Matter, were painted on stone markers and sidewalks at the memorial.

Police are investigating but have not immediately responded to questions as to whether there is any evidence or speculation that the vandalism is related to recent protests in Fort Worth sparked by the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis or any of the in-custody deaths of African-Americans that have occurred in Fort Worth.

Police say they are unsure of a motive, according to Daniel Segura, police spokesman.

The FWPOA Facebook post says that overnight, the Fort Worth Police & Firefighters Memorial was vandalized by criminals, causing significant damage to the stone walls and sidewalks.

“While criminals may physically tarnish this sacred memorial, the legacy of the heroes who gave their lives in service to this city can never be diminished,” the post said. “We have received numerous questions on how to donate.”

“We have added a donation button to this post and all funds will be used by the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial to repair the damage. Any remaining funds will be used for annual maintenance of the walls and memorial grounds.”

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