Idaho Police Officer Mocks LeBron With Phony Call On TikTok, Gets Reprimanded
An Idaho police officer is presumably being reprimanded for openly mocking LeBron James on TikTok.
Bellevue deputy marshal Nate Silvester made the video in his police vehicle while wearing his uniform. Like multiple police officers are now doing publicly, Silvester gave James grief for his ongoing opinions on police officers using force to subdue violent suspects. Silvester's video consisted of him acting out a fake phone conversation with James.
After saying, "Excuse me, could you please put the knife down, sir," Silvester pretends to ask James for advice.
"So, you don't care if a black person kills another black person, but you do care if a white cop kills a black person, even if he's doing it to save the life of another black person?" Silvester pretends to ask James. "I mean, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense -- but then again you are really good at basketball, so I guess I'll take your word for it."
Later, Silvester pretended to call James a second time.
"LeBron? It's me again," Silvester said. "Listen, I'm out here at a disturbance call, and there's a guy trying to stab another guy with a knife. What do you think I should do?"
Silvester then yells out the window to the fictional crowd. "Sorry, guys," he said, "you're on your own. Good luck!"
The Bellevue Marshal's Office responded with a statement of its own on Facebook: "The statements made do NOT represent the Bellevue Marshal's Office."
It went on to add, "The Bellevue Marshal's Office always demands that our Deputies engage with our citizens in a friendly and professional manner. This is NOT how we expect our Deputies to act on duty or use city time. This is a personnel issue that is being dealt with internally."
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account has been created to help Silvester cover his lost wages.
Last week, James tweeted a photo of an Ohio police officer with a caption that read, "You're next. #accountability." It followed the killing of a 16-year old girl who was holding a knife and lunging at another girl. The officer opened fire after repeatedly warning the suspect to stop.
James later deleted the tweet, saying it was being used "to create more hate." Still, the tweet was widely criticized, even by those who typically support his messages on social justice.