Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, a former co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, apologized for referring to black people as “you people” during a meeting with community leaders in Omaha.

Ricketts’ comment was relayed in a video posted on Facebook by Pastor Jarrod Parker of St. Mark Baptist Church, who called Ricketts a “racist” and asked for the comment to go viral.

Parker met Monday with Ricketts, the Omaha police chief and other black leaders in the community about the shooting of a 22-year-old black man by a white bar owner during protests of the George Floyd killing.

“Pete Ricketts said, ‘The problem I have with you people …’ ” Parker said in the video. “Did you hear what I just said? Gov. Ricketts said, ‘The problem I have with you people.’ And ladies and gentlemen, I walked out of the police chief’s office. I walked out on Gov. Pete Ricketts as he said, he called us ‘you people.’ Make this go viral. He called black pastors and black leaders in Omaha ‘you people,’ and I walked out on him.

“That’s why the city is going to go up in flames, Mrs. Mayor and Mr. (police) chief. You’re not listening, and you can’t listen because at the top of the state is a racist governor.”

After the video appeared, Ricketts issued a statement saying, “I chose my words poorly, and apologized when it became apparent that I had caused offense.”

Ricketts called in to an Omaha radio show Tuesday hosted by black radio personality William King, asking King to “charge it to my head, not my heart.”

“My heart is with working with the communities of North and South Omaha to improve the lives of people there,” Ricketts said. “In the heat of the moment, I said things that were trigger words.”

Ricketts added he’s “learning the culture” of the African American community and “I made a mistake … I’m sorry.”

The Cubs declined the Tribune’s request for a comment, but Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, Pete’s brother, told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers that he talked to Pete on Monday night and that Pete “is a very respectful person, and if he offended anyone, I’m sure he did not mean to.”

The Cubs released this statement Tuesday in the aftermath of the Floyd killing and the ensuing unrest in Chicago and other cities: “The Chicago Cubs condemn racism in all its forms and decry violence against members of the black community. Bias and discrimination have no place in our society. We support peaceful protests and pledge to channel our energies to rebuilding our city, especially the disenfranchised neighborhoods, as a way to build a stronger Chicago. By our example we hope to build bridges and elevate the issue of equality for all members of society.”

Pete is one of four Ricketts siblings who purchased the Cubs in 2009 along with Tom, Laura and Todd. He no longer is part of Cubs ownership, according to a team spokesman, having vacated his spot on the board of directors in March 2019 to focus on his duties as governor.

This is not the first time the Ricketts family has apologized for racist comments. Joe Ricketts, the father of the four siblings, apologized in 2019 after a series of his racist and insensitive emails were leaked.

Tom Ricketts apologized then for his father, whom he called a “great man,” and spoke to Cubs players about the emails at spring training.

“I wanted to let (players) know if there was anything that we had done in our organization that ever made them uncomfortable or something we had missed, to let me know,” Ricketts said after delivering his annual spring training speech.

While Pete is no longer involved with the Cubs, his then-relationship with the team sparked controversy in his political life. When first running for Nebraska governor in 2013, he was criticized by Republican primary opponent Beau McCoy for the Cubs’ sponsorship of the Pride Parade in Chicago.

Laura Ricketts is gay, married and a well-known LGBTQ activist in Chicago, but Pete said during his campaign he was against gay marriage.

“I don’t see how it’s possible to be against gay marriage while, at the same time, owning with your family a national baseball team that purports to be one of the most gay-friendly baseball teams in the country,” McCoy said.

Pete countered he was against the Cubs’ sponsorship of the Pride Parade and also against gay marriage.

“My sister is gay. I love her, but I disagree with her on this issue,” he told the Omaha World-Herald.