LeBron James Deletes Tweet Showing Cop in Ma’Khia Bryant Shooting After Backlash
(Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for EIF & XQ)
Basketball legend LeBron James deleted a tweet Wednesday that included a picture of the Ohio police officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, after a Twitter backlash that included accusations that James was inciting violence.
Columbus police had previously identified Nicholas Reardon as the officer who shot and killed Bryant as officers responded to 911 calls about an attempted stabbing.
“YOU’RE NEXT,” James tweeted Wednesday, shortly before 3:30 p.m. “#ACCOUNTABILITY.”
The reaction to the tweet was swift, and James’ critics did not mince words.
Lebron James is inciting violence against an Ohio police officer.
This is disgraceful and dangerous.
Is the NBA okay with this? Is Twitter?
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) April 21, 2021
How dare you?
This is disgusting & dangerous. He saved the life of a young Black woman under attack.
This is incredibly irresponsible. https://t.co/WwKhNPQZrw— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) April 21, 2021
lebron’s putting a target on this guy’s back because he stopped one girl from stabbing another to death https://t.co/cSZUkHokU0
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) April 21, 2021
After about an hour, it appeared that James had deleted the tweet – a move that also didn’t go unnoticed.
Deleted pic.twitter.com/Xqoasasev4
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) April 21, 2021
On Wednesday, Bryant was killed by police responding to a call about a disturbance.
The shooting happened around 30 minutes before the verdict was delivered in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
UPDATE — 7:43 pm ET: James followed up saying he took down the tweet “because its being used to create more hate.”
“I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police,” he said. “This isn’t about one officer. it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
ANGER does any of us any good and that includes myself! Gathering all the facts and educating does though! My anger still is here for what happened that lil girl. My sympathy for her family and may justice prevail! ??✊???
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021
I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This isn’t about one officer. it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021
