LeBron James reacts to police killing black man in his hometown of Akron

Daniel Chaitin

July 03, 04:11 PM July 03, 04:15 PM

NBA superstar LeBron James sent prayers to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, after local police released video footage on Sunday showing the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker.

"I [pray] for my city today!" the Los Angeles Lakers player tweeted.

The body cam footage shows officers chasing Walker, a 25-year-old DoorDash driver, after he fled a traffic stop. Walker was a black man, and his death prompted a new wave of calls for police accountability and protests. The family of Walker has demanded accountability and called for any demonstrations to remain peaceful.

JAYLAND WALKER SHOOTING: AKRON POLICE RELEASE FOOTAGE OF OFFICERS SHOOTING BLACK MAN

Police said a shot was heard from the vehicle during the pursuit. Minutes later, Walker got out of the still-moving vehicle wearing a ski mask and ran. A gun was found in the vehicle, but Walker was unarmed when he was then shot by pursuing officers after an unsuccessful attempt to use stun guns, according to the G3 Box News.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating, and the eight officers directly involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave in the meantime.

G3 Box News

James, who is black, has been vocal in the past after high-profile police killings of black people. In April of last year, he tweeted and then deleted a post appearing to threaten a police officer who shot and killed a 16-year-old girl in Ohio as she attempted to stab another person.

James later attempted to clarify the post by saying, "I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This isn’t about one officer it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY."