LeBron James On Killing Of George Floyd: 'Do You Understand NOW'
LeBron James expressed anger over the recent killing of George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old black man who was violently held down with a knee by a white police officer in Minneapolis on Monday and later died at a nearby hospital.
James posted a photo on Instagram of the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck as he's handcuffed next to a photo of Colin Kaepernick peacefully kneeling in protest of police brutality.
"Do you understand NOW!!??!!??" James wrote Tuesday. "Or is it still blurred to you?? 🤦🏾♂️ #StayWoke👁"
Four police officers were fired Tuesday and the FBI is conducting an investigation into the incident.
According to a police statement, the officers were responding to a "forgery in progress" and the suspect physically resisted officers.
A video of the incident that was widely circulated on the internet showed Floyd repeatedly saying “I can't breathe” as he's being restrained.
Earlier this month, James was outraged over the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old black man who was allegedly gunned down by two white men in February while he was on a jog near his home in Brunswick, Georgia.
"We’re literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes!" James tweeted May 6. "Can’t even go for a damn jog man! Like WTF man are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?
"No man fr ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! I’m sorry Ahmaud(Rest In Paradise) and my prayers and blessings sent to the heavens above to your family!! #StayWoke #ProfiledCauseWeAreSimplyBlack."
After a video of the incident surfaced on the internet, Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34, of Brunswick were arrested May 7. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime, an attorney for the Arbery family told CNN on Monday.
James, a three-time NBA champion, has often used his platform to condemn racial and social injustices. He has 46.1 million followers on Twitter and 64.9 million followers on Instagram.
James also spoke out in the past about the killings of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown.
