Golf great Tiger Woods has broken his silence regarding the death of George Floyd while in police custody last week.
The 44-year-old said on Twitter that Floyd's death - caused by a police officer's knee being pressed into his neck - was a "shocking tragedy" and an example of police misuse of force.
The incident has since sparked protest and riots across the US.
"My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now," Woods says.
"I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force. This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line."
Of mixed race himself, Woods - a 15-time major winner - has been the victim of racism on the golf course, most famously when Sergio Garcia said he'd "serve fried chicken" if he hosted Woods at the 2013 US Open.
Woods grew up in Southern California, and said he learned from the Los Angeles riots in 1992, when thousands took to the streets after an all-white jury acquitted four white police officers of attacking Rodney King, a black driver, after a traffic stop.
"We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods we live in," Woods adds. “I hope that through constructive, honest conversations we can build a safer, unified society."
Woods’ statement comes one day after NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan made his first public remarks on Floyd and the killings of black people at the hands of police.
"I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration," Jordan says.
"I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough."
