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LAPD Cop Wants a Sit-Down With LeBron James After Controversial Tweet

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November 13, 2019, Los Angeles, California, U.S: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) drives against Golden State Warriors' Eric Paschall (7) and Alec Burks (8) during an NBA basketball game between Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, November 13, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Ringo Chiu/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire)

LeBron’s tweet then delete continues to cause controversy. James sparked controversy when he tweeted a picture of Columbus Police Officer Nicholas Reardon along with the ominous-sounding caption, “YOU’RE NEXT.”

The Los Angeles Lakers star later deleted the tweet amid a backlash, saying he took the missive down because it was “being used to create more hate.”

LAPD officer Deon Joseph wrote in a lengthy Facebook post that he hoped his message reaches him so the two can sit down and talk about the reality of policing.

See his message below:

“I am not going to come at you from a place of hatred. There will be no name calling,” Joseph began his post. “I was raised to see the whole of a human being. Not to hyper focus on their flaws or make said flaws the whole of who they are. I’m an honest man.”

The officer praised James for his acts of charity and for being a “family man,” but noted that his “current stance on policing is so off base and extreme.”

“Your tweet that targeted a police officer in Ohio who saved a young woman’s life was irresponsible and disturbing,” Joseph wrote.

“It showed a complete lack of understanding of the challenge of our job in the heat of a moment. You basically put a target on the back of a human being who had to make a split second decision to save a life from a deadly attack,” he continued.

“A decision I know he and many others wish they never had to make. Especially when it involves someone so young,” he added. “Instead of apologizing, you deflected.

“You said you took your tweet down because you did not want it to be used for hate, when the tweet itself was the embodiment of hatred, rooted in a lack of understanding of the danger of the situation,” the officer said.

“I don’t know if this will ever reach you, but my hope is that one day I can sit down with you and talk. As a man of faith, I can have no hatred toward you. But I do feel I can help you understand the reality of the profession of policing, and that there is another side you need to hear,” he added.

“You are tired of Black folks dying? So am I. You hate racism and police brutality? So do I. But you cannot paint 800,000 men and women who are of all races, faiths, sexual orientations and are also mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, preachers, coaches, community members and just human with such a broad and destructive brush.”

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There were some other cops who decided to mock James instead:

LeBron needs to respond in some way. Cops don’t forget when someone threatens them.


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