Shaquille O’Neal is named director of community relations for Georgia county’s Sheriff’s Office
Shaquille O’Neal has been hired to work for Georgia’s Henry County Sheriff’s Office as director of community relations.
The former Los Angeles Laker, 48, was put in the position by Sheriff Reginald Scandrett on Thursday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
‘As a part of Sheriff Scandrett’s strategic plan, bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement is paramount,’ Sheriff’s office spokesman Eric Jackson told the newspaper. ‘Coupled with Dr. O’Neal’s philanthropy, Scandrett and Shaq have a specific plan to begin uniting the Henry County community.’
The latest: Shaquille O’Neal, 48, has been hired to work for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office as director of community relations
Shaquille, who also played for the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers over the course of his two-decade career in the NBA, prior to his 2011 retirement.
He’s kept busy in a number of ways, appearing on the TNT series Inside the NBA, and in 2012, receiving a doctorate degree from Miami’s Barry University for education.
The 7ft1 hoops legend has been involved with law enforcement over the past six years, as he’s been a reserve officer in Miami Beach, Florida, Tempe, Arizona and at the Port of Los Angeles.
The four-time NBA champion was sworn in as a deputy in Clayton County in December of 2016.
Background: The four-time NBA champion was sworn in as a deputy in Clayton County in December of 2016
O’Neal spoke last summer with Jimmy Kimmel about the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police
He spoke last summer with Jimmy Kimmel about the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the massive demonstrations calling for social change that occurred in the wake of the death.
‘There’s an old saying that goes, “What’s right is right, what’s wrong is wrong,”‘ O’Neal told Kimmel in July. ‘And what happened to George Floyd was all-the-way wrong. I’ve never seen that technique taught. A lot of police officers I talked to would never do that.’
He said of the uprising of social unrest that stemmed from outrage over the killing: ‘Everybody’s upset, everybody’s tired, we demand justice … and I think people are just sick and tired.’