Within hours of Derek Chauvin being convicted of the murder of George Floyd, Columbus Police Department Nicholas Reardon shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant. In the hours and days following Bryant's untimely death, a number of public figures and celebrities hopped in to offer their condolences and prayers to the Bryants. Most notably, reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James issued a tweet calling for Reardon to be held accountable for the shooting in the same way Chauvin was held responsible for his actions. Immediately after his tweet was posted, many accused the NBA star of inciting violence. As a result, he pulled the tweet down and issued a longer thread explaining why he wrote what he did.
One of the many people to misconstrue the Ohio native's tweet was a police officer in Bellevue, Idaho by the name of Nate Silvester. In a short Tiktok video, Reardon seemingly mocked James and the death of Ma'Khia Bryant.
“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?” he asked James.
Gaining more than one million impressions, the video quickly transitioned from TikTok to Twitter, Instagram and various social media platforms. Onlookers also began to examine other videos posted on Silvester's profile. He is often seen wearing a "Blue Lives Matter" face covering and has posted videos in which he jokes about ignoring ongoing crimes.
Silvester's viral TikTok and various social media posts caught the attention of local officials in Bellevue. Members of the local Marshal's office issued a statement condemning their colleague's actions.
Members of the Bellevue Marshal's Office have publicly commented on Silvester's standing within the department, but reports suggest that he has been suspended without pay. As a result, a name named "Gannon" has raised more than $381,000 in support of his "best friend." Silvester has also made several posts thanking his supporters.
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