Dolphins safety friends with Charlotte officer involved in Keith Lamont Scott shooting

Miami Dolphins safety Walt Aikens has a unique perspective on the recent shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte.

Aikens is friends with Brentley Vinson, the officer who shot Scott. Aikens and Vinson played football together at Liberty University.

“Right now the whole situation, I’m just praying for both families because I know Brent’s family and, of course, somebody’s dead so you’ve got to pray for that family as well,” Aikens told Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The shooting in Charlotte has drawn national attention and led to unrest in that city. The NFL had to confirm that the Carolina Panthers-Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday will go on as scheduled despite riots in Charlotte over the shooting.

Police say Scott was armed. Scott’s family has said he just had a book.

“It’s crazy because I know Brent personally,” Aikens told the Sun-Sentinel. “He’s a good dude.”

The police shooting in Charlotte, and another recent police shooting in Tulsa, came at a time in which NFL players are protesting over racial injustice and police brutality. The Dolphins are among the teams that have players who have joined the protest. Multiple Dolphins players took a knee for the national anthem the first two weeks of the season.

Because of his relationship with Vinson, Aikens finds himself in an unusual situation.

“I just talked to him the other day,” Aikens, who has been with the Dolphins since 2014, told the Sun-Sentinel. “I told him I’m praying for him. You know how this gets blown out [of proportion]. It’s just a tough situation because with all the Black Lives Matter and being that it hit so close to home, in my home, plus I know a dude who’s involved, it’s tough, man.”

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
Follow @YahooSchwab