Oh, the Washington Times. Owned by the Unification Church.
I don't see a defense of Shakur here. The organization Assata's Daughters, to which Kaepernick gave $25,000, uses her name because they see her as a victim of injustice, not as a cop killer. One of their points in their educational program is the right to a fair trial by a jury of your peers, the point being that in a trial involving an African American defendant, peers would logically and reasonably be other African Americans. Shakur's conviction was made by an all-white jury, and is seen as an injustice in the black community, hence, this group's name. That also explains Kaepernick's support. He's given to a number of similar organizations for the same reason. That doesn't have anything to do with his credibility, or with cop killing. It has to do with their perspective of injustice.
Of course, if we apply your logic to the fact that you depend on The Washington Times for your information, that makes you a Moonie.