Baltimore riots hit home for Bears draft pick Adrian Amos

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Bears safety Adrian Amos just wants justice to prevail. The fifth-round pick is the son of a police officer from Baltimore, where riots raged following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

“I feel that some bad things happened, but I feel a lot of good is going to come out of it,” said Amos, whom the Bears drafted out of Penn State in the fifth round at No. 142 on Saturday.

“If anything, it opened a lot of people’s eyes. A lot of people are watching. But I want them to see the good side of Baltimore. I want them to see we’re coming together.

“We want equality for everyone and we just want everything to be better. I want it to be smooth so people can respect the police and the police respect all people.”

Amos’ father, a policeman, was assigned to the riots, which broke out in Baltimore last week. On Friday, Grey’s death was ruled a homicide and six Baltimore police officers were charged.

“My father wasn’t always a police officer,” said Amos, a three-year starter at Penn State. “That’s his job. He was down there in the middle of it during the riots and things like that but it doesn’t deter me either way on the subject that is being fought for. I just want there to be justice either way.

“Whether who’s right and who’s wrong, I don’t know because I don’t know the full story. So I don’t really get too much into it. I just want there to be justice and for everybody to come together and build Baltimore up instead of tearing it down.”

Email: ajahns@suntimes.com

Twitter: @adamjahns

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