While many mourn the death of George Floyd after he was killed by Minneapolis police on Monday, former NBA veteran Stephen Jackson is among those who are especially devastated by the tragedy.
Jackson expressed his sorrow in a series of Instagram posts, saying "this is what I gotta wake up to."
"Twin. I promise I won't let this BS ride. Already talked to @shaunking," the former NBA forward wrote in the caption of one video. "Anybody from Houston/Cuney Homes u know this was my brother. Can't let this ride. All hands on deck. Rest Easy Twin."
Jackson said he and Floyd "called each other twin."
"Everybody knows me and Floyd called each other twin," Jackson said. "My brother was only out there in Minnesota. He was changing his life, he was driving trucks. I just sent him two, three boxes of clothes. My boy was doing what he is supposed to do. And y'all gonna kill my brother."
In another post, Jackson said, "where we from not many make it out, but my Twin was happy I did."
"I'm gonna continue to make u proud fam," the Texas native wrote. "It makes me so angry that after all the things u been through when u get to your best self that they take u out like this. … Rest Easy Twin."
While Jackson comes from Port Arthur, Texas, Floyd was a Houston native, according to Sports Illustrated.
"I can't let this ride, dawg," Jackson said in the Instagram video. "Y'all not going to be mad until it hits y'all front door. Bulls**t."
The 42-year-old said he is going to Minneapolis to fight for justice.
"Twin couldn’t wait to tell me he moved to Minnesota to work and drive trucks," Jackson wrote in another post. "He knew he had to relocate to be his best self. His ❤️ was in the right place. Rest Easy Bro. We gonna hold it down yo voice. All we talked about was growing and kids. Love to all who have love for all."
Jackson said Floyd was also a gifted athlete.
"Twin was really living through me. He was talented in 2 sports and the difference between me and bro was I had more opportunity than he did," the former pro athlete wrote on Instagram. "2 things we have in common both from the bottom and both of our names will live forever. U will remember the name George Floyd. Love u twin. Rest Easy. Love to all who have love for all."
The 42-year-old posted a photo of Floyd wearing his high school football jersey, noting that he made it to the state championship.
"These days the only crime U get killed for is Being Black. Rest Easy Twin. Starting tight end 92. Made it to state championship," Jackson wrote. "Bruh wasn’t no bum. Had hoop game too. U will know who Floyd was. Nobodies perfect, but Floyd was loved by everybody when he’s friends wasn’t. Just the facts u gotta be from HTown to know what I’m saying. Rest Easy Twin we riding for ya."
Floyd was confronted by police on Monday after a grocery store clerk accused him of trying to forge a check, as Blavity previously reported. Video from bystanders shows multiple officers handcuffing the 46-year-old and one cop pinning down the unarmed man for several minutes, pressing his knees into Floyd's neck until he couldn't breathe.
The four officers involved in the killing of Floyd have been fired, CNN reported.
