What you do for children, and other acts of charity shows a huge heart. ...But... Your current stance on policing is so off base and extreme. Your tweet that targeted a police officer in Ohio who saved a young woman’s life was irresponsible and disturbing. It showed a complete lack of understanding of the challenge of our job in the heat of a moment. You basically put a target on the back of a human being who had to make a split second decision to save a life from a deadly attack. A decision I know he and many others wish they never had to make. Especially when it involves someone so young. ... My hope is that one day I can sit down with you and talk. ...I do feel I can help you understand the reality of the profession of policing...
You are tired of Black folks dying? So am I. You hate racism and police brutality? So do I. But you cannot paint 800,000 men and women who are of all races, faiths, sexual orientations and are also mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, preachers, coaches, community members and just human with such a broad and destructive brush.
...I think if you yourself actually sat down and had a real honest and open conversation with a cop, there is a strong chance you may discover we are not the monsters you have come to believe we are... And even if you come away feeling the same way, I could respect it, because at least you gave the other side your ear instead of only hearing one narrative. ...Division and hatred must stop. It’s clear based on rising crime in marginalized communities that cops and the community need to build bridges to save lives on all sides. That cannot be done through the demonization of any group of people.
Just putting it out in the universe brother. ...please take the time to talk to a police officer instead of judging them. No shade. Thanks for all the positive things you do.
—LAPD officer Deon Joseph, sometimes called “the angel of Skid Row” for his work with the homeless, in an open letter to NBA star LeBron James, who commented on the police killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio.