Patriots Cam Newton, Ja’Whaun Bentley react to Breonna Taylor decision

Cam Newton and Ja’Whaun Bentley were in meetings Wednesday afternoon when a grand jury decided to indict one of three Louisville police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor for endangering her neighbors, but not killing her.

On Thursday, both Patriots reacted to the decision that has since inspired nationwide protests and widespread reaction across the sports world.

“Tough, it’s kind of disappointing. All of those kinds of words you kind of want to throw in there with the case,” Bentley said. “I’m still kind of processing it at the same time, We have a long way to go, I feel like we have a long way to go as a country. But we won’t stop working.”

Bentley said the Patriots intend to further entrench themselves in the community, likely to help remedy issues of social injustice and race relations.

In his response, Newton echoed thoughts shared earlier in the day by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who said he feels the United States being “the Land of the Free” doesn’t always apply to Black people.

“More times than just once have I not felt that that statement applied to people that looked like me,” Newton said. “No matter if they’re a citizen, no matter if they’re a police officer, no matter if they’re rich, poor, whatever. Right is right, and wrong is wrong.”

He later added: “At the end of the day, I just pray that we all find it in our heart to do better. No matter what happens in that specific case — because it’s out of pretty much everybody’s hands, outside of the necessary people — let this be a situation that we can all empathize with.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3j0JNbj