Jets RB Le’Veon Bell says ‘America is hurting’ after George Floyd’s killing

Jets running back Le’Veon Bell took to Twitter on Tuesday to issue a statement following George Floyd’s killing.

Jets running back Le’Veon Bell has issued a statement in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

Bell wrote on Twitter that he waited until Tuesday to speak because of the “hurt” he has felt since Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derrick Chauvin on May 25.

Floyd was killed after Chauvin forced his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. Chauvin has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Floyd’s killing and other deaths in the black community have led to widespread protests across the United States calling for an end to police brutality against black people and minorities. Other countries around the world have also gotten involved with their own protests.

“I’ve held onto my words because I still haven’t been able to find the right thing to say,” Bell wrote. “I’m hurt, WE are hurt, AMERICA is hurting, and I can’t even find words to express to you how bad I feel.”

Bell is the latest Jets player to issue a statement, as Jamal Adams did so on Monday night.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery,” Adams said. “They’re more than just hashtags. It’s disgusting that we don’t have time to deal with our trauma before the next tragedy. We can’t let these conversations die and can’t forget about those we’ve lost. Stop killing us.”

Bell’s statement accompanied a blacked-out picture and the hashtag #BlackOutTuesday to accompany the trend that swept social media throughout the day. The Jets posted their own blacked-out picture along with the same hashtag but had yet to release any sort of statement at the time of Bell’s tweet.