'Stop letting g**ks into Miami': Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis apologizes over offensive tweet - but claims he didn't know slur is a racist term for Asians
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis has apologized after being criticized for a tweet that used an anti-Asian slur - before claiming not to know the term was racist.
The 24-year-old tweeted Sunday night, 'Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami' in a post that was later deleted.
After outlets ran stories about the tweet he later blamed journalists for 'blowing up' the story - and said the the word was used locally to mean 'lame' and he was unaware of its 'darker, negative connotation'.
The 24-year-old tweeted Sunday night, 'Gotta stop letting g***s in Miami' in a post that was later deleted
Davis (pictured) is a member of his team's social justice board and has spoken out against racism
His explanation read: 'I would never offend any group of people. You reporters can look for another story to blow up. The term was directed towards a producer claiming he ''ran Miami''. With that being said I'll retire that word from my vocabulary giving the hard times our Asian family are enduring.
'I used a term that from where I come from has always meant ''lame'' but I did not realize it has a much darker, negative connotation. I have learned a valuable lesson and want to apologize to anyone that was offended by seeing that word because we need to focus on helping each other during these tough times.'
Davis posted an extract from an online dictionary to support his claim that the word 'g**k' - which is a racist term for people of south-east Asian descent first used by -U.S. Marines during the Philippine-American War - is used in South Florida to mean 'lame'.
It is not clear who the 'producer' he claims the tweet was responding to is or whether they are of Asian descent.
Buccaneers General Manager Jason Light said in a statement: 'We have been in communication with Carlton regarding his social media post from Sunday evening.
'Carlton has been an active member of our Social Justice Player Board over the past two seasons and has played a key role in our organizational support for finding peaceful and productive ways to bring attention to societal issues that have plagued our country for many years.
'Words carry weight and it is incumbent upon all of us to have a thorough understanding of the words we choose and the effect they may have on others. We look forward to working with Carlton to find appropriate ways to learn from this experience and continue our joint efforts to put an end to all forms of social and racial injustices.'
After outlets ran stories about the tweet he later blamed journalists for 'blowing up' the story - and said he thought the word meant 'lame' and he was unaware of its 'darker, negative connotation'
The cornerback has spoken out against racism in the past and is part of the team's social justice board.
It comes amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crime in the US over recent months, including a string of violent attacks.
Surveillance footage released Sunday showed a pole-wielding man going on a rampage in an Asian-owned convenience store in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The footage, shot at Plaza Sundries, shows a man pulling a merchandise rack to the floor and shattering refrigerator glass with a street sign post.
It comes in the wake of a uptake in anti-Asian violence, with a 65-year-old woman kicked in New York City and eight people shot murdered at Atlanta massage parlors, six of whom were Asian women.
It comes amid a rise in Anti-Asian hate crime in the US over recent weeks, including a string of violent attacks, including this attack on an Asian-owned store in Charlotte, North Carolina
Hate crimes nationally against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have increased 150% during the pandemic, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.
Last week, a 65-year-old woman was viciously attacked while walking to church near New York City's Times Square. The attack heightened already palpable levels of outrage over anti-Asian attacks that escalated with the pandemic.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said a company that's responsible for security at the transit center arrested Xavier Rashee Woody-Silas, 24 (pictured in a booking photo)
Meanwhile, a teenager was arrested Friday for a random attack on an Asian couple in November, after footage of the attack resurfaced online and was seen on the news by the victims' daughter.
The attack took place on November 19, 2020 in the late afternoon, in Tacoma, Washington - a suburb of Seattle.
The attack began when the suspect intentionally bumped into the male victim as the couple was walking home, court documents allege.
The suspect, who has not been named by police, then allegedly began punching the male victim, ultimately breaking one of his ribs.
The incident was reported to police at the time, but footage of the attack only emerged online recently, KING 5 reports.
The daughter of the victims called police after seeing the footage shown on the news.
On Saturday, an Asian woman was stabbed to death while walking her dogs in California, but police said the attack was 'completely random' and not racially motivated.
A teenager was arrested Friday for an attack that took place on November 19, 2020 in the late afternoon, in Tacoma, Washington - a suburb of Seattle
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