The National Fraternal Order of Police, the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, slammed NBA superstar LeBron James on Wednesday for a social media post singling out a Columbus, Ohio, police officer present during the fatal shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant.
“.@KingJames, with his vast resources & influence, should educate himself and, frankly, has a responsibility to do so, on the facts before weighing in. This is disgraceful & extremely reckless.The officer saved a young girl’s life. No amount of gaslighting will change that fact,” the FOP’s official Twitter account wrote.
Earlier Wednesday, James tweeted out a photo of a police officer caught on camera at the scene where an officer shot and killed teenager Ma’Khia Bryant, writing: “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.” Body camera footage of the incident appears to show the girl with a knife lunging at another young woman before the officer opens fire.
James deleted the tweet hours later.
Bryant was identified by Franklin County Children Services and police to be 16 years old and in foster care at the time of her death.
“It’s a tragedy. There’s no other way to say it. It’s a 16-year-old. I’m a father,” Interim Columbus Police Chief Michael Woods told reporters Wednesday. “Her family is grieving. Regardless of the circumstances associated with this, a 16-year-old lost her life yesterday.”
He added, “I sure as hell wish it wouldn’t have happened.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.