TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Thousands of drivers pass by the Trentalange and Kelley Law Firm on North Dale Mabry every day and are greeted by a sign that changes frequently.
Over the years, attorney Mike Trentalange has displayed various messages on it, but recent officer-involved shootings in both Omaha and Charlotte prompted him to make a big change.
Now, the sign reads “Stop Killing Unarmed Black Men Now.”
“If the statement ‘Stop Killing Unarmed Black Men Now’ is anti-police, then we have a much bigger problem that anyone can imagine,” said Trentalange.
The message brought support for the firm on social media, but also comments like these:
“Must be an office full of cop haters,” wrote one user on the firm’s Facebook page.
“When you publicly post a message of anti-police sentiment, such as ‘Stop Killing Unarmed Blacks’, you have shown you no longer concern yourselves with the legal process,” wrote another user.
Some users spoke out in support on Facebook.
“Good for them for taking a stand. Their sign doesn’t mention a cop. It’s just is asking for young men to stop dying. You have to wonder what your issue with that might be,” wrote another Facebook user.
“I would think that would be an uncontroversial statement, but some people on the Facebook page took the position that sometimes it’s okay to kill unarmed people, which I find to be absolutely amazing,” said Trentalange, who tells News Channel 8 he served in the military for four years and does respect law enforcement.
“I don’t want business from racists, misogynists. I don’t want business from terrorists and I don’t want business from people who think we don’t need equal justice in this country,” said Trentalange.
The sign has been up for at least a week and as of Wednesday, it is still up.