Barkley weighs in on 'defund or abolish the cops' talk

Charles Barkley weighed in on some pretty controversial topics Thursday night on TNT. Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley: 'We need to stop that defund or abolish the cops' talk

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 9/25/20

Hall of Famer and "Inside the NBA" host Charles Barkley is sick of the crowd that has been calling for the police to be defunded.

Barkley delivered a speech on TNT on Thursday, saying the answer to police brutality and social injustice in America is not taking away money from the police.

Charles Barkley on defunding the police "Who are black people supposed to call Ghost Busters when we have crime in our neighborhood? We need to stop the defund or abolish the police crap" pic.twitter.com/uEIsnX729g
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 25, 2020

Instead of defunding the police, Barkley says the solution is in police and prison reform.

"I hear these fools on TV talking about defund the police and things like that -- we need police reform and prison reform and things like that," Barkley said."Because you know who ain't going to defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods."

Barkley also commented on the Breonna Taylor case, saying he doesn't believe it's in the same vein as what George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery went through, adding that Taylor's boyfriend did shoot at the cops.

One of Barkley's co-hosts, Shaquille O'Neal, agreed with him, saying that carrying out a warrant is part of the police officer's job.

Social justice and police brutality issues have been a focal point of the NBA's season resumption at Walt Disney World. Games even were halted last month as players protested following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.

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