(CBS News) The Los Angeles County sheriff on Monday challenged Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to match $175,000 in reward money being offered for information on the gunman who ambushed and shot two L.A. deputies over the weekend. In an interview with KABC Radio, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the reward money has reached $175,000, after two individuals donated $75,000 to add to the $100,000 offered by the county.
“This challenge is to Lebron James. I want you to match that and double that reward,” Villanueva said. “I know you care about law enforcement. You expressed a very interesting statement about your perspective on race relations and on officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community. And I appreciated that. But likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across professions, across races, creeds, and I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”