I admire and appreciate what Shaquille O’Neal was attempting to do when he recently surprised a group of young black boys in Florida and challenged them to a friendly game of basketball with Gainesville police officers.
But until something is done to hold police officers accountable for their actions when dealing with unarmed minorities suspected of crimes, O’Neal’s efforts, although honorable, only offer good publicity for police departments and a false sense of protection for young black and brown men and women — who may very well be killed by these same officers 10 to 15 years from now for no good reason.
I would love to believe that I am wrong and that this is perhaps a step in the right direction for all law enforcement officers across the nation to regain public trust and learn something from. But black and brown men and women are still far more likely than other Americans to be victims of police-involved shootings, and police officers are more likely not to be held accountable.
If, between all the fun and laughter, serious changes don’t take place, a game of basketball with clearly good police officers is in vain. The bad officers, judges and attorneys who fight not to prosecute bad officers who shoot people in the back and plant guns on dead bodies can undo the public’s trust.
— William J. Booker, Chicago
