Ice-T Says New 'Law & Order: SVU' Episodes Will Tackle Racial Profiling and Police Brutality

"I'm very proud to be on a show that tries to stay current and tries to stay conscious"

BY Allie GregoryPublished Nov 11, 2020

After months of protests against police brutality following the killing of George Floyd and numerous other Black people, Law & Order: SVU fans have been questioning if it's ethical to watch cop dramas that could serve as potentially harmful propaganda in such divisive times. 

SVU star Ice-T is here to quell some of those concerns, announcing that the series' forthcoming Season 22 — premiering tomorrow (November 12) — will tackle the issues of racial profiling and police brutality head-on.

Speaking with TMZ, the actor/musician said that his character, Fin Tutuola, will have to decide whether or not to continue being a cop after killing a Black man, while Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson will have to confront her own issues with racial bias.

"We have this Karen situation where we pick up this Black guy — but did we profile him?" Ice-T said in the clip. "Was implicit bias involved? Why didn't we question the white lady?"

He continued: "I really commend Law & Order for hitting these topics head-on and I'm very proud to be on a show that tries to stay current and tries to stay conscious. I didn't want to be dealing with the same problems from 20 years ago."

SVU's new season will pick up where Season 21 left off back in April, but with new coronavirus measures in place. Ice-T said viewers can expect to see scenes with actors wearing masks and practicing social distancing in tomorrow's premiere.

Watch the interview below.

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