LeBron James fielded questions from the media regarding the shooting of Jacob Blake after the Lakers game Monday, The Washington Post reported.
“Quite frankly, it’s just fu*ked up in our community,” James told members of the media in reaction to the shooting of Jacob Blake, according to The Washington Post.
“We are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. You have no idea how that cop left the house. You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with his significant other or one of his kids said something crazy and he left the house steaming. Maybe he just left the house saying, ‘Today is going to be the end for one of these Black people.’ That’s what it feels like. It just hurts,” James continued.
Jacob Blake was shot by police Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and video of the altercation quickly went viral on social media, per Business Insider. Blake is seen walking towards the driver’s side of a vehicle in the video, and as he attempted to enter the driver’s seat door of the car, officers shot Blake seven times in the back while his kids sat in the backseat, according to Business Insider.
Witnesses told a local media outlet, Kenosha News, that Blake was attempting to break up a fight between two women before the police arrived and Blake was shot. The man who reportedly took the video, according to the Associated Press, said he saw Blake scuffling with police and said he heard the police say “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” Shortly after, the man reportedly heard gunfire, per AP.
Jacob Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times his son is paralyzed from the waist down in a story published Tuesday. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave, according to The Washington Post. (RELATED:Jacob Blake Paralyzed From The Waist Down, His Father Says)
LeBron James reacted to the incident, saying “if you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re sitting here lying not only to me, but you’re lying to every Black person in the community.”
He continued, “we see it over and over and over. If you watch the video, there was multiple moments where they could have tackled him or grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?”
Lakers’ LeBron James on Jacob Blake shooting: “If you’re sitting there telling me there was no way to subdue or detain him before the firing of guns, then you’re lying to not only me, you’re lying to every Black person in the community. We see it over and over and over. pic.twitter.com/9DHZZqcr6K
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 25, 2020
“His family is there, his kids are there, it’s broad daylight. Seven shots at close range, and he’s still alive. That’s through the grace of God right there. My prayers go out to that family and that community, but I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all.”
Lakers’ LeBron James: “I think firearms are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting. For Black people right now, we think you’re hunting us.” pic.twitter.com/ifDjdqy5W8
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 25, 2020
“I think firearms are a huge issue in America. I don’t know how you clean that up. I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers. Guns are a huge issue in America. They’re not just used for hunting, like a lot of people do for sport. For Black people right now, when you’re hunting, we think you’re hunting us,” James said.
James spoke out for gun control during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in 2018, responding to the Parkland shooting by rhetorically asking, “How can a kid who can’t buy a beer go and buy an AR-15?” per The Washington Post.
James’ Larkers, along with several other NBA teams, took a knee during the national anthem the first night of the NBA restart, and images of the Lakers’ sideline kneeling were featured at the Democratic National Convention. He’s been seen wearing a hat that says “Make America Arrest the Cops who Killed Breonna Taylor,” with the “Great Again” crossed out, as reported by CBS News.