Published 14:14 IST, June 1st 2020
JR Smith beats man for breaking his car window during George Floyd protest in LA: WATCH
JR Smith beats man: The former Cleveland Cavaliers laid out a man, who allegedly broke the window of JR Smith's car. Smith confirmed the incident in a video.
NBA free agent JR Smith was seen brutally kicking and hitting a man on Sunday during the mass protests in Los Angeles. The man, who is yet to be identified by the US media, allegedly broke a window of JR Smith's truck, which was parked in a residential area in LA. JR Smith later confirmed that the man broke his car's window before he was chased down by the former Cleveland Cavaliers star. Smith said the man got "his a** whooped".
JR Smith beats man: JR Smith beats protestor
The video footage of the incident was captured by TMZ, which shows JR Smith in a grey hoodie, kicking and smashing the man who was pinned near the front end of a vehicle. Smith continued his beating as the man got up to his feet as the former NBA star landed one final punch. Per reports, the man was allowed to escape the scene after some bystanders intervened and stopped Smith.
JR Smith video: JR Smith fight video
The 'JR Smith beats man' incident was addressed by the former NBA star himself after he explained his actions in a video released shortly after. In the JR Smith video, he said, "One of these mo*******king wh*te boys didn’t know where he was going and broke my f****ng window in my truck. I chased him down and whooped his a**. He didn’t know whose window he broke and he got his a** whooped.”
In the JR Smith video, he claimed his car was parked in a residential area with stores around. However, according to TMZ, Smith's car was located in the Fairfax area, which is near the Flight Club sneaker shop that had been looted during the protests. Smith also confirmed that the incident was not fueled by hatred or race, but the beatdown was just an act of revenge for messing with his car.
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George Floyd protest in LA
Vandalising and ransacking of properties have recently been a common sight stemming from the mass protests against the unjust killing of George Floyd. The 46-year-old was murdered by a police officer, Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, last Monday. Highlighting the brutal nature of racial profiling and injustice, the tragic death has caused mass outrage among the citizens, leading to the protests.
Major cities across the United States like LA, New York, Boston, Houston, Atlanta and others have seen mass protests throughout last week. In several cities, the peaceful protests turned volatile resulting in riots and destruction of public property. Los Angeles is one of many cities that endured the fate as the authorities were forced to intervene and contain the riots. Places like Melrose Avenue and Fairfax District in LA were heavily swarmed by protesters which resulted in the police officers firing foam and rubber pellets at the protesters. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has imposed a citywide curfew in the city.
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Updated 14:14 IST, June 1st 2020