SNL alum Jay Pharoah says he ‘could have been George Floyd’ in shocking footage of LAPD kneeling on his neck – The Sun

SATURDAY Night Live alum Jay Pharoah showed shocking footage where he claimed he was stopped by LAPD while jogging when one officer kneeled down on his neck.

The 32-year-old comedian said he “could’ve been George Floyd” as he recreated the same kneeling position that was captured in both George’s arrest video and Jay's recent incident.

The actor said he was out for a jog on Los Angeles’ Ventura Boulevard recently when the situation occurred.

"I see an officer to the left of me. I'm not thinking anything of it, because I'm a law-abiding citizen,” he said in the video posted on Instagram.

Jay continued: “I see him coming with guns blazing, I see him say 'get on the ground, put your hands up like you're an airplane.'

“As he's looking at me, I'm thinking that he's making a mistake. So I'm looking past where he's looking.

“I'm looking at him, and I'm looking past me because I'm like, 'whoever they're about to get, this is going to be terrible’

“But, no. He was coming to get me,” the former SNL star said.

The comic then shared what appeared to be security footage of two LAPD officers walking towards him as two more rush out from their vehicle.

All four police officers had their guns drawn as they approached Jay – who was already laying face-down on the cement with his hands up.

"Four officers got their guns blazing, they tell me to get on the ground, spread my arms out, they put me in cuffs, the officer took his knee, put it on my neck.

"It wasn't as long as George Floyd, but I know how that feels,” Jay detailed of the tense situation.

On May 25, the father-of-five died while being arrested by Minneapolis police offer Derek Chauvin – who had his knee pressed down on George’s neck for nine minutes.

When the TV star asked why they were doing this, Jay said he was told he "fit the description of a black man in this area with gray sweatpants on and a gray shirt.”

The star then emphasized how “status” does not protect you if you are “black in America.”

"I told them if you look, Google right now Jay Pharoah. You will see that you made a big mistake.

“A minute later, after I was detained in cuffs, they come back and say ‘we’re sorry, we just got a call in that it’s not you,” he continued in the video.

He then told the officers to “get these f***ing handcuffs” off of him, and added that he had “never been in cuffs before up until that point.”

Jay encouraged his fans to get involved with the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Black lives always matter. My life matters. I'm still here to tell my story, but I could have easily been an Ahmaud Arbery or a George Floyd.

“And I'm not, and I can tell my story so I will tell you all that this is what you need to do… educate yourselves,” he instructed.

Jay’s video concluded with a re-enactment of himself laying on the ground as a cop's knee pushes down on his neck.

"I literally could have been George Floyd. We as a country can't breathe anymore.

“And we are tired. We are sick and we are tired of it. I can't breathe,” he screamed with one last heartbreaking look at the camera.

LAPD declined The Sun’s request for comment.

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