Over the weekend, two Los Angeles sheriff's deputies were shot in what police are calling an unprovoked attack. The deputies were reportedly sitting inside of their patrol vehicle at the Metro rail station in Compton when a man walked up to the car and fired off shots before taking off on foot. Surveillance footage captured the incident, and now authorities have offered a $175K reward for information leading to the arrest of the unknown suspect. Because of his previous comments regarding officer-involved shootings, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has challenged LeBron James to match that reward.
“I want to make a challenge…to LeBron James,” said Villanueva said on Monday (September 14) during an interview. “I want you to match that and double that reward because I know you care about law enforcement... You expressed a very interesting statement on race relations and officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community and I appreciate that, but likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across professions, races, creeds, and I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”
With all of the celebrities who have supported and spoken candidly about recent officer-involved shootings, Sheriff Villanueva didn't challenge any others to add to the monetary reward. Blue Lives Matter supporters have stormed social media demanding LeBron take action and answer Villanueva's call.
During a press conference immediately following the shooting, Sheriff Villanueva spoke about the victims. “One is a mother of a 6-year-old boy. Her husband is here with them. The other one is a 24-year-old and the parents are here, the girlfriend is here. They are both out of class 437,” said Sheriff Alex Villanueva adding that the two deputies had only graduated 14 months ago.