“Desperate for more accountability!” LeBron James was once FORCED to take down his tweet about the police shooting due to suspected racial backlash
LeBron James deleted a tweet targeted at a police officer who was involved in the murder of a 16-year old girl in Ohio in 2021
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LeBron James has always maintained his image in terms of social justice and his political stances; however, in 2021, he was forced to take down a tweet after a police shooting incident in Ohio. The officer in question was Nicholas Reardon, who killed Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio, in 2021. The King tweeted – “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY,” – with a photo of Reardon in the tweet.
LeBron deleted this tweet following immense backlash from fans as the police officer received much abuse. LeBron followed up with his reasoning for deleting the tweet and received criticism as people felt he was scared to take a stance. “I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. 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, and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY,” said LeBron James.
LeBron claimed he had no intention of threatening the officer’s life and wanted justice to prevail. The fact that this incident happened in Ohio, just 125 miles away from where Lebron is from, made it a very personal incident for him. Some fans were on LeBron’s side as they felt it was right to name and shame police officers who commit crimes, but LeBron did not want any more backlash.
What did Nicholas Reardon do to get targeted by LeBron James?
Reardon’s body camera footage, obtained when he arrived on the scene after someone called 9-1-1 to report being physically threatened, is seen in a video released by the Columbus Division of Police. Bryant is seen swinging a knife violently at another girl or woman, who drops to the ground, as he approaches a group of individuals engaged in a physical altercation in a driveway. She charges at another girl or lady who is pinned up against a car after Reardon repeatedly shouts to get down.
Bryant is knocked to the ground and the knife is left on the sidewalk next to her after Reardon fires four close-range bullets from a distance of a few feet. After being brought to the hospital, Bryant was later declared deceased. The officer was held accountable for his actions by people all over there was no reason to fire four fatal shots in that scenario.
LeBron James voiced his opinion on the incident but realized it was too far. Inciting hatred and abuse towards a police officer was never his intention, as he stated. The United States has a more significant problem regarding violence and police behavior, and LeBron just wanted the guilty to be held accountable. As of 2022, Nicholas Reardon was cleared of the charges as they could not find any criminal intent.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)