The outspoken Warriors coach broke his silence about the fatal ICE shooting that killed Alex Pretti.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is devastated about the fatal shooting of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.
"I’ve been following everything. It’s very sad," he said before the Warriors' Sunday game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. "This has always been a great stop on the NBA tour. I love the city of Minneapolis, and the people here are wonderful. It’s very sad what’s happening. I feel for the city. There’s a pall that has been cast over it—you can feel it.
"A lot of people are suffering. Obviously, loss of life is the number one concern. Those families will never get their family members back. And when all the unrest settles down, whenever that is, those family members won’t be returning home. That’s devastating."
On Saturday, reports broke out that Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents during an immigration enforcement operation. Federal investigation accused Pretti of having a handgun and acting violently upon disarming, while eyewitnesses, video footage, and several trusted media outlets have noted that the 37-year-old only showed a cell phone and not a gun during the process.
The event sparked backlash across the United States. Several athletes and NBA players like Tyrese Haliburton protested via social media.
Kerr revealed that veteran Joe Ingles contacted him and revealed that the Timberwolves are disturbed by what happened and were feeling uneasy about playing after Pretti's killing. As such, the Warriors, Timberwolves and the NBA postponed the Saturday game and moved it to this Sunday.
In the wake of the Americans being divided over what happened, the outspoken Kerr dropped significant remarks on how the nation and the Donald Trump administration can address the events.
"My concern as an American—we’re not perfect. We never have been, but I think our ideals and our values have been in the right place for a long time. No matter what side of the aisle you stand on, remembering the values that come with the Constitution and with citizenship, and the values of looking after each other, are so important right now because of the extremism we feel from all over the place. People are so angry. There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another and recognize what’s happening," he said.
"We’re being divided by media for profit and by misinformation, and there’s so much out there that’s difficult to reconcile. In times like these, you have to lean on your values and who you are and who you want to be, either as an individual or as a country. That’s what’s so sad about all this—we’re at each other’s throats right now. You can’t just say you’re right and the other person is wrong in this climate of nonstop news flooding at us. It’s hard to decipher what’s real, what’s true, and what’s not. People are arguing over the same video and saying different things happened.
"It’s a confusing time to be alive and to be an American, and my appeal is to remember what our Constitution stands for, what our values are, and what that means for how we treat each other and our fellow citizens."
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