Denzel Washington Defends Cops Amid Black Lives Matter Movement: ‘I Have the Utmost Respect for What They Do’

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After playing a cop in several movies, Denzel Washington is now sharing his thoughts on the role of law enforcement amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

In his latest film The Little Things, the actor plays a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detective on the hunt for a serial killer.

The movie comes at a time when law enforcement in America is under heavy scrutiny in the wake of ongoing police brutality and calls to defund the police.

In a new interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Washington expressed his support for law enforcement despite the current climate.

“I have the utmost respect for what they do, for what our soldiers do, [people] that sacrifice their lives,” said the actor. “I just don’t care for people who put those kind of people down. If it weren’t for them, we would not have the freedom to complain about what they do.”

Washington went on to recall going on a ride-along with a police sergeant while preparing for his role as a cop in the 1991 thriller Ricochet.

The actor noted that the sergeant “diffused” a situation involving an elderly man armed with a rifle “by just remaining calm.”

“It showed me in an instant how they can lose their life,” added Washington. “He didn’t overreact. He could’ve shot the old man that was distraught and a bit confused. I think he was suffering a little bit from dementia. But in an instant, it taught me, and I never forgot it, what our law enforcement people have to deal with, moment to moment, second to second.”