A day after reports of a video of a detained Delonte West began to gain commentary, an officer who filmed him recounting the situation has been suspended. According to NBC News, local Maryland police authorities believed a bystander recorded the viral video of Delonte in handcuffs but soon discovered it was one of their own. The authorities are unsure as to how the video appeared on the Internet.
Another view of the incident, which occurred on Monday (Jan. 20) near the MGM National Harbor casino, shows West laid out on the road as an unidentified person proceeds to hit him. The officers stated that morning, West and the other person, who are familiar with each other, engaged in an argument.
A former college basketball teammate of West’s, Jameer Nelson, posted a message to Twitter following news of the former pro-athlete’s situation. “To answer everybody that’s reaching out to me about his situation… all we can do is pray for him and his family and hope that he seeks the proper help,” Nelson said. “Mental illness is something that a lot of people deal with and don’t even know it, until sometimes it’s too late. I’m not sure what exactly is going on with Dwest but he knows I’m in his corner and will help him get through this.”
— Jameer Nelson (@jameernelson) January 21, 2020
In 2015, West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Previous reports state the former NBA player has family and friends that are providing him with support. According to TMZ, the NBA is also offering West assistance.