Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have defended the police involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor, arguing that they were simply “doing their job” and opened fire because Taylor’s boyfriend opened fire on them first.
Of course, liberals and Democrats are outraged with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal for speaking with common sense and decency.
Presenting the TNT pregame show ahead the Los Angeles Lakers vs Denver Nuggets, Barkley said Taylor’s death couldn’t be compared to the killing of George Floyd because Taylor’s boyfriend opened fire on police who then shot back.
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Shaq agreed, saying that the officers involved were simply ‘doing their job‘ on a warrant signed by a judge.
One of the police officers involved in the raid that killed Taylor was indicted this week, though not for firing the shots that killed her.
Barkley and O’Neal came under fire from Black Lives Matter supporters and liberals on social media for ‘defending the police’, with many leveling racial insults at the pair.
Barkley said: ‘I don’t think this one was like George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery and things like that.
‘I feel sad that this young lady lost her life. I think the no-knock warrant is something we need to get rid of across the board.
‘But we do have to take into account that her boyfriend shot at the cops and shot a cop.’
Shaquille echoed his comments, responding: ‘You have to get a warrant signed and some states do allow no-knock warrants. Everyone was asking for murder charges.
‘When you talk about murder, you have to show intent. A homicide occurred and we’re sorry a homicide occurred.
‘When you have a warrant signed by the judge, you are doing your job, and I would imagine that you would fire back.’
‘Charles and Shaq both throwing black women under the bus,’ one account with the user name Justice for Breonna Taylor wrote. ‘SHAME, I used to be a fan.’
Herb Jones, a former Democrat candidate for the Virginia Senate, added: ‘Lost much respect for Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal today regarding their comments regarding the murder of Breonna Taylor...
‘So it’s OK for some people to protect themselves but not OK for others?’
During the same show, Barkley also spoke out on calls by protesters to ‘defund the police‘, cautioning against knee-jerk responses to cop killings.
He argued that defunding cops will mean officers being removed from white neighborhoods, leaving black ones unprotected.
‘Who are black folks supposed to call,‘ he said, ‘Ghostbusters?‘
Instead of removing police, he said, ‘we need police reform and prison reform‘.
Barkley’s comments stand in marked contrast to other prominent figures in the NBA, including LeBron James, who have thrown their weight behind social justice campaigners fighting for the officers to be charged.
Following Thursday night’s game, which saw the Lakers win, LeBron said: ‘I know we lost a beautiful woman in Breonna. And we want justice no matter how long it takes.’
