NFL, Roc Nation create PSA to share story of O’Shae Terry on Monday Night Football
It’s been two years since Sherley Woods’ adult son was shot to death by a former Arlington police officer. She has yet to receive justice, but her fight has not been forgotten and last Monday night the case was thrust into the national spotlight.
The NFL and Roc Nation unveiled a PSA during the Oct. 5 Monday Night Football game in support of O’Shae Terry, a 24-year-old man who was killed after being shot multiple times by Bau Tran during a traffic stop in Arlington on Sept. 1, 2018.
The PSA, which is narrated by Woods, also features Terrence Harmon, who was in the passenger seat as Terry was fatally shot. Body camera footage appears to show Tran firing into the vehicle as Terry attempted to drive away from a traffic stop.
“O’Shae was taken from us two years ago, and not a day goes by where I don’t think of him and his spirit,” Woods said in a statement. “That day changed our life forever. My mother, a stroke survivor, still asks to see O’Shae every day, unaware he’s no longer with us. My children grieve on a daily basis. As a family, we are devastated by not ever being able to see O’Shae again. No mother should have to experience the heartbreak of having their child murdered at the hands of the individuals tasked with the protection of others — yet too many mothers have.”
This was the sixth PSA spearheaded by NFL and Roc Nation in efforts to raise awareness about the need to create positive change in our communities and end systemic racism. For the league, the PSA falls under its Inspire Change initiative, a platform focused on the collaboration of the NFL and players to reduce barriers to opportunity and combat social injustice.
“Current and ongoing events have shown us that our country continues to face racial injustices,” said Anna Isaacson, senior vice president of social responsibility at the NFL. “The goal of this and other NFL Inspire Change PSAs is to share the stories of victims and raise awareness of systemic racism. We hope that O’Shae’s story reminds us all that we must come together to create change.”
“I am sincerely grateful to the NFL and Roc Nation for honoring my son and telling his story,” Woods said. “The officers that took him from us also took an oath to protect and serve — they shouldn’t be able to kill with impunity. They must be held accountable for their criminal acts, they must be prosecuted and sentenced — it is the humane and moral thing to do. Things must change, and I hope O’Shae’s legacy can serve as a beacon for that change.”
