Niles Fitch is known for his role on the NBC tear-jerker This Is Us and he’s also shedding light on real-life issues outside of Hollywood. He appeared as a guest on the FOX Soul talk show The Mix and opened up about his take on hot topics that are occurring politically and socially, one of which is the shooting of unarmed Black Americans by police officers. 

Fitch disclosed for the first time publicly that his cousin is Rayshard Brooks, the 27-year-old Atlanta man who was shot in the back as he ran from two officers on the scene following a physical encounter. The entire ordeal was caught on camera.

During the interview, Fitch told them at first glance watching the video, he couldn’t identify Brooks because the video was too dark.

“I’m from Atlanta and I haven’t said anything publicly but my cousin was Rayshard Brooks,” he said. “I remember watching the video and I couldn’t see who it is or anything and I remember being like damn that’s crazy and I was a little numb to it and I kept it moving.”

He says he heard the news about it being Brooks from his mother.

“It really set on me how bad it has been and how desensitized we are. It was a tough time but we got through it, you have to get through it. That is the only thing you can do,” he says.

The Mix airs every Tuesday at 10 pm EST on the FOX Soul streaming app.

 

 Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images