Sports legends and enthusiasts joined the growing opposition against a state trooper at a Texas A&M-hosted football game on Saturday who bumped into and then berated University of South Carolina players.
In the now viral footage, a white Texas Department of Public Safety trooper yelled at South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor after he scored a touchdown, which put South Carolina up 20-3 with under a minute left in the second quarter.
Following the TD, Harbor entered the tunnel
. As Harbor and his teammates began to walk back to the field, the trooper bumped past them and began angrily pointing his finger at the players. The players, who appeared confused by the act, walked away.As the incident made waves on social media, the internet began to condemn the man for his own unnecessary roughness. LeBron James called the trooper’s action “premeditated” and “corny [as f-ck].”
“That A&M cop needs to suspended! That was premeditated and corny AF!! . He went out his way to start some sh*t. Do better man,” shared the NBA star.
Texas A&M Police announced that the state trooper would be “relieved of his game day assignment.” The Texas Department of Public Safety added that officials sent the trooper home from the game afterward. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) will also reportedly look further into the issue.
However, the altercation also speaks to the treatment of young Black men by law enforcement even when on the world’s biggest fields.
Texas A&M won the game, 31-30.
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