Bill Cosby Weighs In on George Floyd Killing and Protests

Bill Cosby in Court (Credit: YouTube)

Bill Cosby has weighed in on the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and expressed his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Cosby, who is serving a three-to-10-year prison term for his 2018 conviction on charges of indecent aggravated assault, released a written statement Tuesday via his publicist Andrew Wyatt.

“When I think about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other Black people murdered by racial hatred, I could not help but think about my son, Ennis, who was also brutally murdered,” said Cosby.

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The comedian’s son Ennis Cosby was shot to death in 1997 during a robbery attempt on a Bel-Air roadside while he was changing a spare tire.

“Before racial hatred shot our beloved Ennis in the head and abruptly ended his life, this raging inferno of racial hatred stated, ‘die ni–er’ before he pulled the trigger. I understand the pain; I understand the helplessness; and I, too, understand that NO parent has willingly filled out an application to become a member of the ‘My Child Was Murdered by Racial Hatred’ club,” Cosby said in his statement.

“These murders of innocent Black people will never end until the ‘establishment’ acknowledges that they are the architects of this Prison of Racism In America — they continue to teach racial hatred around their dinner tables; they continue to fuel racial hatred by portraying Black people negatively on television and movies; and they continue to enhance racial hatred by placing their knee on the necks of Black people, no matter their education, success or fame,” he added.

The Cosby Show star also blasted police departments for responding to the protests with officers in tactical gear.

“Yes, protests are meaningful and powerful when they are done in a peaceful manner,” he wrote. “But, the mayors and governors of Minneapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Birmingham, (and other cities) can’t send police officers out in tactical gear, ready and willing to inflict bodily harm, which doesn’t reflect peace nor the expectation of a peaceful protest.

“Come On People! Let’s not squander a golden opportunity — officers, remove your tactical gear, remove your guns, put on the full armor of GOD, and march with the people whom you have made your enemy,” Cosby said. “I will continue to pray that GOD provides the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black people murdered by racial hatred with wisdom, understanding, and peace during these difficult times. Please be mindful and be safe.”

Cosby still maintains his innocence and is hoping a state Supreme Court review of the case will result in a new trial. In April, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order that allowed many seniors to be released on house arrest amid the coronavirus pandemic but Cosby’s request for release was denied.

Read Cosby’s statement and tribute to his son below from Instagram: