Amidst the Black Lives Matter protests happening all around the world, some have called on the government to defund police departments, and it seems that the actor behind Darth Maul in Star Wars is all for that idea.
After the tragic killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide, and consequently, global protests, there’ve been a growing number of people who believe that the Americans would be better off without law enforcement, giving rise to the #DefundThePolice movement. With celebrities chiming in on the current situation and even occasionally getting caught in the crossfire, it’s not surprising to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Supergirl star Sam Witwer come under fire after he addressed the issue of police brutality on his Twitter feed.
The whole shebang started when Witwer revealed that one of his best friends is a police officer and that they talk about this matter every day. When one of his followers asked him to tell his friend to quit his job, here’s what the actor had to say:
“Can’t. The man’s an amazing, moral dude who believes in remaining calm and professional.”
Another user then asked Witwer to apologize for defending the system, which, of course, he did. But that didn’t appease the crowd online. Ultimately, the actor showcased support for the call to defund law enforcement when a user pointed out his hypocrisy, writing:
“Ok. You said that. So it’s on you to check my timeline and see how many police brutality videos I tweeted *before* that conversation. AND he is a good dude and a great cop. I’ll wait right here. #DefundThePolice“
When asked if his friend would agree with being defunded, Witwer revealed that he does. He also pointed out the fact that we need a “hard reboot” on law enforcement and leadership.
Do you agree with the Star Wars actor, though? And what are your thoughts on the matter? As usual, sound off in the comments section below.
