Charles Barkley is facing heat on social media after saying during NBA on TNT that Breonna Taylor's murder at the hands of police was different than the killings of George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery.
"It's just bad the young lady lost her life, but we do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop," he said, referencing that Walker fired a warning shot after being awoken to what he thought were people breaking into the home. "So, like I said, even though I'm really sorry she lost her life, I don't think we can just put this in the same situation as George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery."Â
This left people at odds with Barkley, especially after many are still reeling from a grand jury's decision not to charge officers in the killing of Taylor. Shaquille O'Neal, who was has been sworn in as an honorary deputy city marshal in Georgia and a reserve officer in the states of California, Arizona and Florida, agreed with Barkley's comments.Â
"I have to agree with Charles, this one is sort of lumped in," Shaq said. "You have to get a warrant signed and some states do allow no-knock warrants. And 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."
But that wasn't all. Barkley also expressed his disagreement with calls to abolish and defund the police. "I hear these fools on TV talk about 'defund the police,' we need police reform and prison reform and things like that because you know who ain't gonna defund the cops, white neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods," Chuck said during the show. "So that notion that they keep saying that,  I'm like wait a minute who are Black people supposed to call? Ghostbusters? We need police reform."
Those comments had many looking at Barkley (and Shaq) sideways. See what people had to say below.
