An Idaho cop has been fired for a viral TikTok video in which he mocks LeBron James' reaction to the police shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant.
Nate Silvester, who had been on suspension since April, was fired Thursday from the Bellevue Police department. Hours later, he told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday that he was "the latest target of cancer culture," adding his LeBron TikTok video "struck a political nerve" that piqued the interest of the department, which "came up with forms of discipline."
In his video, Silvester pretends to seek advice from LeBron regarding a fake scenario involving one Black man trying to stab another black man.
"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 says on his cellphone, according to New York Post.
"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."
Considering the context, the fake stabbings he mentions appear to be in reference to the death of Bryant, a 16-year-old girl who was shot four times by a white police officer in April. During the incident, she allegedly attacked others with a knife.
Responding to the ordeal, the Bellevue Marshal's Office said in a statement on Facebook that it was aware of "the extreme controversy" of Silvester's viral TikTok video, which did not align with the department's ethics.
"The statements made do NOT represent the Bellevue Marshal's Office," the statement read. "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."
Explaining Silvester's firing, Bellevue Mayor Ned Burns said this was not the first time he had violated policy.
"He was not terminated for the content of his speech; he was terminated for his failure to follow clearly laid out and well established policy," Burns said in a statement. "The decision was solely made by the command structure within the Bellevue Marshals office and was not influenced in any way by me or by the City Council," Burns continued, adding, "We wish Mr. Silvester the best, and we ask for calm and understanding."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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