BELLEVUE, Idaho — Deputy Nate Silvester of the Bellevue Marshal’s Office disclosed to a local news organization that he will return to work Thursday, the Post Millennial reported. Moreover, he has also announced inking a book deal about the fiasco after he was placed on administrative leave for making a TikTok video mocking LeBron James critique of an officer-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio.
A policeman calls LeBron for advice in hilarious viral video pic.twitter.com/iQmLOKFXHr
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 25, 2021
The Bellevue Marshal’s Office announced on Facebook in April that the department was “internally” dealing with Silvester and that the deputy’s statements “do NOT represent the Bellevue Marshal’s Office.”
Silvester posted a TikTok mocking LeBron James after he tweeted, then deleted, a post targeting the officer who fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant in Ohio as she was attempting to stab another woman.
LeBron James doxxed a photo of the Ohio police officer to his 50 million followers on Twitter and said, “You’re Next” then ended the tweet with “accountability.”
.@KingJames, with his vast resources & influence, should educate himself and, frankly, has a responsibility to do so, on the facts before weighing in. This is disgraceful & extremely reckless.
The officer saved a young girl's life. No amount of gaslighting will change that fact. pic.twitter.com/GTHn1VAAlf
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) April 21, 2021
In the video Silvester made-up a scenario similar to the attempted stabbing by Ma’Khia Bryant, which led to her being fatally shot. In the viral video, Silvester pretends to phone LeBron James asking him for policing advice on how he should deal with an attempted stabbing right outside his vehicle, Law Officer reported.
Silvester ended the video slamming self-proclaimed “King” Lebron James and asking why he turned a blind-eye to black on black crime yet only cares if a black person dies at the hand of a white cop.
“So you don’t care if a black person kills another black person, but you do care if a white cop kills a black person, even if he’s doing it to save the life of another black person? I mean it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but then again you are really good at basketball so I guess I’ll take your word for it.”
Silvester was suspended without pay. A GoFundMe set up for Silvester has raised close to $500,000. The deputy said he plans to donate a portion to the First Responders Children’s Foundation and use another portion to create a scholarship fund for displaced police officers, PM reported.
Silvester told KTVB on Wednesday that he signed a book deal with Di Angelo Publications for a book titled, “Never Off Duty.”
I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it. Thank you @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi #sayhername #Blacklivesmatter
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 3, 2021
LeBron James took to Twitter on Monday to admit that he took the wrong approach by posting a controversial tweet after the death of Ma’Khia Bryant. “I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it.”