Torii Hunter, an All-Star centerfielder for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, had an awkward run-in with local police officers outside his Newport, California home Wednesday night after his home security system malfunctioned. Twenty minutes after the alarm went off, Hunter saw police outside his house and walked outside, only to see police draw their weapons and ask him for his ID because “they didn’t believe” he lived there, Hunter tweeted:
My alarm went off in my house while I was in it. 20mins later I saw cops checking out the scene. Went outside and they drew there guns on me
— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) April 4, 2012
They didn't believe I lived here in Newport coast so they walked me upstairs at gunpoint to get my ID.
— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) April 4, 2012
When I showed him my ID, he said I'm an angel fan hope u guys have a great season. ARE U KIDDING ME!!!!!! Lol
— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) April 4, 2012
Angels pitcher CJ Wilson responded to Hunter’s original account, saying, “That’s racist.” Hunter responded, “lol… Now u know I can’t say that,” but the posts drew a litany of responses from Twitter users speculating that his race was a factor. About an hour later, Hunter returned to Twitter to stress that he wasn’t upset with how police handled the situation.
“Hey Twitterland! I’m not upset that the cops did their job today. I’m actually glad they were protecting home,” Hunter posted. “The cops that were here today had there guns drawn but pointed downward in for safety. Those guys handled the situation like trained cops.” He returned again even later to clarify his account of the events again, saying, “Gunpoint might have been a little extreme. Just guns drawn pointing down.”
Hunter is a winner of the Branch Rickey Award for service and a two-time finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes players for community involvement and sportsmanship.