By Police1 Staff
ATLANTA — When Officer Tommy Lefever saw the story about a gym that bans police officers and active military members from joining, he knew he wanted something positive to come out of it. So he has challenged owner Jim Chambers to a charity boxing match.
“He seems like he might enjoy getting the opportunity to punch a cop in the face and I’d be happy to oblige him and give him that opportunity,” Lefever told WXIA.
The fight would take place during the annual “Guns and Hoses” charity match in December that raises money for the police athletic league. According to their website, the league provides a safe environment for youth to reach their full potential. Lefever said he’s found that when you sweat and “bleed with somebody … it’s not hard to respect the guy for getting in there with you.”
“Gaining mutual respect for one another in the boxing ring might be the start of something that can help overcome differences in worldview, ideology, what have you,” he said.
Chambers defended his policy after his story went viral, saying that many of his members are minorities who are uncomfortable with law enforcement. He told WXIA he would only accept the offer to box if he knew it’d be a fair fight.