‘We are scared as black people in America’: LeBron makes powerful statement on police shooting of Jacob Blake

Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James has expressed his anguish at the shooting of Jacob Blake, Wisconsin man left fighting for his life in hospital after a police officer shot him seven times in the back.

He spoke as Mr Blake’s home town of Kenosha saw people take angrily to the streets after the shooting, which was caught on graphic video by a neighbour and which has added fuel to nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.

In his remarks to the press, broadcast on ESPN, Mr James rejected the idea that the shooting was somehow inevitable or justified by anything Mr Blake did.

“If you’re sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman, or to detain him, or to just – before the firing of the guns – you’re sitting here lying to not only me, you’re lying to every African-American, every black person in the community.

“Because we see it over and over and over. There was multiple – if you watch the video – there was multiple moments where, if they wanted to, they could’ve tackled him, they could’ve grabbed him. You know, they could have done that.”

Citing the fact that Mr Blake’s three sons were in the back of the car where the police shot him, Mr James – who also tweeted a furious message demanding justice – put the shooting in a broader context: the generalised police violence against Black people in America that has become the subject of a national uproar.

“This s**t’s, uh… this s**t’s, quite frankly it’s just f***ed up, in our community,” he said. “And I know people get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America.

“Black men, Black women, Black kids – we are terrified. ‘Cause you don’t know, you have no idea. You have no idea how that cop that day left the house.

“You don’t know if he woke up on the good side of the bed, you don’t know if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. You don’t know if he had an argument at home with a significant other.

“You don’t know if one of his kids said something crazy to him and he left the house steaming. Or maybe he just left the house saying today is gonna be the end for one of these Black people.

“That’s what it feels like. That’s what it feels like. It just hurts, it hurts.”

“It’s through the grace of God that he’s still living. Seven shots, close range, and he’s still alive? That’s through the grace of God right there, and my prayers go out to that family and that community.

“But I’ve got nothing nice to say about those cops at all. At all.”