The “Big Diesel” will once again operate in the role of “Big Law Enforcer” in suburban Atlanta. Well, sort of.
Shaquille O’Neal, 48, has been hired as the director of community relations specialist for the sheriff’s office in Henry County, Georgia, about 3o miles south of downtown Atlanta.
Henry County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Eric Jackson told the media that the basketball legend and NBA Hall of Famer, who is known universally as “Shaq,” will help to bring the police and the community closer together.
“As a part of Sheriff [Reginald] Scandrett’s strategic plan, bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement is paramount,” Jackson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Coupled with Dr. O’Neal’s philanthropy, Scandrett and Shaq have a specific plan to begin uniting the Henry County community.”
O’Neal reportedly earned a doctorate in education from Barry University in 2012.
According to the newspaper, Shaq’s law enforcement gigs since 2015 have included:
1. Working as a reserve officer in the Doral Police Department in Florida in 2015;
2. Operating in the same role in Miami Beach, Florida; suburban Phoenix, Arizona, and the Port of Los Angeles;
3. Becoming a sheriff’s deputy in 2016 for Clayton County, Georgia, which is located just south of Atlanta.
.@SHAQ gets sworn in as sheriff's deputy in Georgia. https://t.co/UuvbLKHpgP pic.twitter.com/LOXui22R1c
— theScore (@theScore) December 7, 2016
We don’t know how O’Neal is going to pull off performing his new gig on a regular basis. He has homes in Florida, San Antonio, Texas, and Newark, New Jersey, but none in Atlanta. Then again, when you boast a personal worth of more than $400 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com, you can afford the back-and-forth flights.
Also, the “Big Aristotle” works as an analyst for “Inside the NBA” on TNT in Atlanta during the basketball season, which is currently underway. And, oh yes, Shaq also owns a chain of Papa Johns pizza stores in the Atlanta area.
