The widow of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant is furious after Los Angeles law enforcement challenged LeBron James to match a reward for information relating to the shooting of two Los Angeles police officers over the weekend.
Vanessa Bryant is upset after Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told KABC he hoped the Los Angeles Lakers star would offer $175,000 worth of prize money leading to the arrest of the person who shot two officers in the head at point-blank range while they sat in a parked police cruiser on Sunday.
“This challenge is to LeBron James,” Villanueva said. “I want you to match that and double that reward. Because I know you care about law enforcement. You expressed a very, very interesting statement about your perspective on race relations and on officer-involved shootings and the impact it has on the African American community, and I appreciate that. But likewise, we need to appreciate the respect for life goes across professions, across races, creeds. And I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”
Vanessa Bryant lashed out at Villanueva on Instagram and accused the sheriff of failing to “step up to the plate” in the aftermath of the helicopter crash that killed her husband and 13-year-old daughter Gianna. She has filed suit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over what she said is a failure to secure the helicopter crash site. Bryant says Los Angeles County deputies shared photos of her husband and daughter that were taken at the crash site.
The two officers are recovering in a Los Angeles hospital. James has yet to respond to Villanueva’s request for help.
