Mariners Catcher Says Charlotte BLM Protestors Should Be "Locked Behind Bars Like Animals" (UPDATED)

Mariners Catcher Steve Clevenger had some harsh words for BLM protestors in Charlotte.

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UPDATED 9/23/16 12:15 p.m. EST:

The Mariners announced they are suspending Steve Clevenger without pay for the remainder of the 2016 MLB season:

See original story below.

Seattle Mariners Catcher Steve Clevenger made some highly questionable comments on Twitter Thursday about the unrest in Charlotte, N.C. following the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott by Charlotte police. In two tweets, Clevenger came at the whole Black Lives Matter organization, as well as President Obama. 

"Black people beating whites when a thug got shot holding a gun by a black officer haha shit cracks me up! Keep kneeling for the Anthem!" he wrote. He followed this up by comparing protestors to animals and saying they should be locked up. "BLM is pathetic once again! Obama you are pathetic once again! Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!"

Naturally, many fans didn't take too kindly to this, and called Clevenger out. He quickly deleted the tweets and then made his account private, but the damage was done. The Mariners later issued a response, saying the team was "very disappointed in the tweets posted by Steve Clevenger. While he is certainly free to express himself, his tweets do not in any way represent the opinions of the Seattle Mariners. We strongly disagree with the language and tone of his comments." The statement went on to note that the team was currently "examining all internal options," but no decision was made about a potential punishment yet. 

Early Friday morning, Clevenger released a statement about the tweets. He somewhat confusingly apologized "for the distraction my tweets on my personal twitter page caused when they went public earlier today." He continued:

 I am sickened by the idea that anyone would think of me in racist terms. My tweets were reactionary to the events I saw on the news and were worded beyond poorly at best and I can see how and why someone could read into my tweets far more deeply than how I actually feel... I do believe that supporting our First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive. With everything going on in the world I really just want what is best for everyone regardless of who they are. 

You can see the entire statement below.

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