The Detroit Lions canceled their practice Tuesday to protest police brutality, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday.
Blake was shot in the back multiple times by officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is now paralyzed.
At a press conference, Lions safety Duron Harmon said, "Today, when we came in the building there were a lot of heavy hearts. We're at a point in time where a lot of tragic events and things keep happening to black people and people of color. Jacob Blake could have been anybody's brother, cousin, uncle, friend and it wasn't OK and we're not here for it. "
Defensive end Trey Flowers, who is among the Lions' leaders in social justice initiatives, also spoke out.
"We can't become numb to it," Flowers said. "The world just can't go on."
The Washington Post, which tracks police shootings, reports Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans.
Black Lives Matter protests have been held across the country in cities large and small following the May 25 killing of George Floyd by police.
While some of the protests became violent, with protesters destroying property and attacking police, many of the protests have been peaceful, with numerous videotaped incidents of police brutality against protesters and journalists.
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