"Robbery warrant issued for tonight's @Browns game @NFL 'officials'," the Cleveland Police said in a Tweet Sunday night. "Ok. We can't do that. Just sayin'," the Tweet concluded.
The humorous post on social media came after a heartbreaking loss for the Cleveland Browns at the hands of the Oakland Raiders—and, if one sides with the Cleveland Police, the officiating crew.
With the Browns up by eight points with 1:46 remaining in regulation, the team could run out the clock. The ball in the hands of Carlos Hyde appeared to cross the first-down marker, which would have allowed the Browns to run the "win the game play" three times and exit the building with a win. The ball was spotted and measured, and it was determined that Cleveland got the first down.
But a booth review was initiated, and upon that review, the ball was spotted several inches short of the line to gain. That decision would prove pivotal.
The Raiders took possession of the ball, marched into the end zone, and converted a two-point try to force overtime. With minutes left in the extra frame, rookie kicker Matt McCrane kicked a game-winning 29-yard field goal.
The game took place in Oakland, so the Cleveland Police probably didn't have jurisdictional ability to issue the warrants for the referees.
But the message was clear: You took that one from us.
Robbery warrant issued for tonight’s @Browns game @NFL “officials”.
— Cleveland Police (@CLEpolice) October 1, 2018
Ok. We can’t do that. Just sayin’.
