Police say tombstone of 'Roots' author Alex Haley's grandmother vandalized with spray paint

JACKSON, Tenn. – Police say the tombstone of a relative of "Roots" author Alex Haley has been vandalized with the words "White Lives Matter."

The Jackson Sun reports (http://bit.ly/1IVCYU6 ) that Savannah Police Chief Gary Will says the tombstone of Queen Haley was spray painted earlier this week. Queen Haley was Alex Haley's grandmother.

Alex Haley was the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Roots: The Saga of an American Family," which is the story of an enslaved African-American family. The book was later made into a TV miniseries. Alex Haley died in 1992.

The police chief says a professional cleaning company has been hired by the cemetery to remove the paint. Will says a protective coating will be added to the stone so that if it is painted again it will come right off.