Carmelo says 'system is broken' after officer acquitted in Freddie Gray case

Carmelo Anthony has grown increasingly outspoken on social issues in recent years, particularly in regards to racism and police violence.

The New York Knicks forward recently implored his fellow athletes to use their elevated platform to demand change, raise awareness, and lobby for more accountability. He delivered a similar message while standing alongside Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James onstage at the ESPYs.

Back in April of 2015, Anthony called for peace in Baltimore, the city he called home from the age of eight until his latter teenage years. The city was being rent apart by riots, leading Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard.

"We need to protect our city, not destroy it," Anthony wrote at the time.

The reason for those riots was the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered fatal injuries while in police custody. On Monday, Lt. Brian Rice - the highest-ranking of the six officers charged in the Gray case - was acquitted by a Baltimore judge of all charges. He was cleared of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office.

In the wake of the judge's decision, Anthony expressed his profound disappointment.

"It's just sad," he told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "The people there, the communities there, all they want is justice. Everybody is expecting something to come out of this. It's just getting worse and worse. I don't think anyone has the answers. I said it before, the system is broken.

"It takes a lot to fix it."