The nation’s top police unions Thursday ripped LeBron James, saying his tweet reacting to the deadly police shooting of a Black teenager in Columbus, Ohio, was “disgraceful and extremely reckless.” On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers star tweeted a photo of the officer involved in shooting 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. The tweet included the caption, “YOU’RE NEXT,” and an image of an hourglass suggesting the officer’s time is running out.
Although Mr. James deleted the tweet, he defended it in subsequent social media posts.
“I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police,” he wrote. “I took the tweet down because it’s being used to create more hate — This isn’t about one officer. It’s about the entire system; they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
police officer did not take action to save another young woman’s life, James would likely be the first person out there claiming the racist police just stood idly by while another Black child was murdered,” the group said.
“Now, instead of showing even the slightest recognition that officers are sometimes put into impossible situations, he threatens the murder of the officer who was forced to save another person’s life,” the statement continued. “Ignorance, even in a billionaire like James, is never pretty. But James’ display of ignorance coupled with a threat to murderous violence is disgusting, indeed.”
Bryant was shot and killed Tuesday after police responded to a 911 call that someone was trying to stab her. It is not known who made the call.
Body camera video shows Bryant, who appears to be armed with a knife, chasing a girl outside a home. The girl being chased fell on the lawn in front of the cop. The video shows that the officer screams at Bryant to “get down” before she targets another girl on the hood of a car. As Bryant swings what appears to be a knife, the officer fires several shots, killing her.
