Real Salt Lake's Onuoha: 'I have a fear and distrust towards police'
Former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers defender Nedum Onuoha said Tuesday that he never feels completely safe in the United States due to the violence against black people by police.
Real Salt Lake's Onuoha, who was born in Nigeria but raised in Manchester, spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live amid protests across the United States. The demonstrations were triggered by the death of George Floyd, who was killed May 25 after now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd's neck to the ground with his knee for nearly nine minutes. Floyd was unarmed and pleaded that he couldn't breathe.
"I am always very wary of how I behave and how it could be viewed by people who have power," Onuoha said. "For me personally, overall I don't like to say it, but I have a fear and distrust towards police."
The 33-year-old voiced support for the "overdue" widespread protests against racism and police brutality, but he said examples of discriminatory behavior by police are still evident during the demonstrations.
"The change will come but within that, there are so many nuanced things within the protest - for example, a lot of black people are scared to do what some of the white people are doing to the police," Onuoha said.
"It's crazy to see but it is very necessary. I am not going to say to them that they shouldn't do anything because they haven't been heard for this long so let them be heard now," he added.
Onuoha moved to the United States in 2018 after spending six years with QPR. He said he's enjoyed living in the country but revealed he still feels "more comfortable" in the UK due to police conduct and gun laws in the U.S.
"If (the police) read me the wrong way then my life could be taken. I feel that every single day. It is not just me but everybody else as well," Onuoha said.
He continued: "I am not trying to be overly critical to the police, there are plenty of good police officers out there, but sometimes I feel like people put police on a pedestal and make them seem superhuman.
"But the fact is over here they are just people from society with a badge and a gun and a lot more power. If you worry about the man next door, why would you not worry about the person patrolling the streets who now has more power, more guns, but the same views?
"I never go out and feel 100% safe."