RICHMOND, Calif. - A Northern California police chief noted for his community policing efforts raised a few eyebrows when he joined a peaceful protest Tuesday, holding a sign with the popular Twitter hashtag of #blacklivesmatter.

The Contra Costa Times reported Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus was part of a group of about demonstrators who lined a busy street, holding signing and listening to recordings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches.

"I spoke with my command staff, and we agreed it would be nice to convey our commitment to peaceful protest and that black and brown lives do matter," Magnus told the newspaper after the protest. "And to help bridge the gap that we understand sometimes exists between police and community around certain issues."

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"We get the conversation about use of force, we get it," Deputy Chief Allwyn Brown added. "This is an opportunity for all police departments, including ours, to look inward and examine our approaches and get better."

The afternoon protest, one of many in the San Francisco Bay Area this week, was organized by a Richmond youth center. Richmond's mayor and several city council members also took part in the demonstration.