A gruesome video of five Memphis police officers beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols has renewed calls for reform after it was released. The footage is a chilling look at the violence inflicted by police on Black men.
The beating took place in January during a traffic stop. It was captured on body cameras and police surveillance cameras.
1. Don’t Be Afraid
A recent video release of former Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols has shocked and traumatized people across the country. It has sparked protests, calls for accountability and calls for change in law enforcement more broadly.
One of the most troubling aspects of watching this footage is that it shows officers committing a crime against someone who was not even in the act of doing anything wrong. It also makes clear that they are acting out of a desire to control, rather than to serve and protect.
While it is possible that they could have been wrong in their decisions to beat Nichols, there is no denying that the actions are extremely harsh and callous. The way that the officers acted was clearly designed to intimidate and control Nichols, who was a single father of one child.
These brutal attacks are particularly traumatic for Black people, who have a history of being treated poorly by the police. In a report released in February, the National Center for Justice and Accountability found that Black men are more than seven times more likely to be stopped and harassed by police than whites.
According to the report, black men are also more likely to be beaten or killed by the police. This is because the police are trained to target people who look like them, and the lack of accountability from the police can lead to a pattern of abusive behavior.
The Memphis police department has announced that five officers who were involved in the beating of Tyre Nichols will be fired. Chief Cerelyn Davis says that the officers used excessive force and failed to intervene or render aid to Nichols.
This is the latest in a long line of incidents where police have been accused of using excessive force against Black people. These cases have prompted many police departments to review their use of force policies and procedures, but it can take years for these reforms to be implemented.
While the police in Memphis did make some changes in response to the case, it is important not to rush into reforms too quickly. This is because it may be difficult to balance the need for accountability and transparency with the need for trauma healing, experts say.
2. Don’t Stay Silent
The violent beating of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers this month has left Black Americans everywhere reeling. But it’s also a reminder that even in these times of police brutality and unchecked racism, there is still hope.
In the wake of Nichols’ death, his family has called for a new way to address policing in America. They’re calling for a “policing strategy” that will focus on trust, empowering communities and preventing more police violence against Black people.
For example, organizers have called for an end to what they call a “pretextual traffic stop,” which is when police pull over drivers in their cars because they think the driver might be committing a crime or simply looks suspicious. That’s the practice that Philando Castile and other Black men have been exposed to in recent years.
Organizers also want to see more police departments implement a community engagement process, where officers can interact with residents instead of arresting them. But even if communities have these strategies in place, experts say there’s still the issue of how to make sure they actually work.
Another aspect of this policing strategy is that officers should be able to report their suspicions or hunches about a person to their supervisors, so they can take action to protect the community. But in Memphis, where this video was released, that hasn’t been the case.
The video shows that Nichols was pulled over for what police said was a reckless traffic violation. But the department hasn’t been able to verify that claim and police Chief Cerelyn Davis told reporters Thursday she had no idea why Nichols was stopped.
Meanwhile, the video also showed that Nichols was beaten by five Memphis police officers at least 13 times — kicking his face and body, punching him in the head and even using a baton to hit him. And he was screamed at in expletives and pepper sprayed while he was being beaten, the video shows.
But despite his cries for help, Nichols didn’t get the medical attention that he needed until paramedics arrived minutes after the officers stopped beating him. They brought out a gurney but Nichols didn’t get put on it, according to the video.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
The brutal beating of a Memphis man by police sparked protests throughout the weekend as activists demanded national police reform. A city councilman urged people not to give up until there is change.
The death of Tyre Nichols prompted a national debate about the way law enforcement interacts with Black citizens. It also raised the specter of renewed police violence, less than three years after a wave of demonstrations swept the country.
A day after the gruesome video surfaced, five officers involved in Nichols’ death were fired and charged with murder. They were members of a specialized police unit called SCORPION, which was created to target crime hot spots in the city.
SCORPION had enjoyed bipartisan support and a reputation for openness to change, but that was before Nichols’ death. The Memphis police chief made the decision to disband the unit a day after the harrowing footage emerged, saying she listened to the family and community leaders.
While the police department has fired and charged several of the five officers involved in the beating, some questions have still been left unanswered. One is why the department hasn’t suspended or disciplined other officers who were present at the scene.
Another question is whether Nichols’ civil rights were violated, and if so, how. The officers used excessive force and abused their authority, according to the civil rights attorneys representing Nichols’ family.
The family’s lawyers are reviewing video and audio from the encounter. They have also requested that Nichols’ medical records be viewed by the Justice Department.
Harris believes that he has a right to know how Nichols was treated. "It should be a very scathing report to the entire department and the community about how they treated him, and how they failed him," he told Insider.
But Harris says that the police department is trying to cover up the situation. After the incident, one officer reportedly lied in his day-after report about Nichols’ involvement, and police officials say they’re looking into that.
The family’s lawyer is calling for a complete investigation into the shooting and an independent review of all SCORPION units. The legal team is also working to get the unit disbanded. Regardless, Nichols’ death is the latest in a string of fatal police encounters that have raised questions about police behavior and racial profiling.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
In the wake of a video showing Memphis police officers beating Tyre Nichols, the city’s mayor has called for a “pattern-or-practice” investigation into policing in his city. He said he will introduce ordinances next week that could lead to changes in the city’s policing practices and policies.
While Memphis residents are demanding justice, some worry that the city’s hot spot approach to policing is fueling a cycle of violence. Aaron Foster stands outside his house in a high-crime area of Memphis and says police tactics are driving him and his neighbors into fear.
He believes the police department has been ignoring the city’s laws that protect people who are suspected of being criminals. He has also noticed that crime has become more omnipresent in his neighborhood. 먹튀폴리스
Some members of the clergy and the NAACP want to see a pattern-or-practice investigation into policing in Memphis, and they are asking for more accountability from the city’s police chief and district attorney. The group also wants the federal government to open a civil rights investigation into Nichols’ death.
A letter to the DOJ was sent Thursday by state representatives G.A. Hardaway and Joe Towns, who say the Nichols death seems to be a part of a “pattern or practice” in policing that violates the U.S. Constitution.
The letter asks for a broader policing review that would look at all stops, searches and arrests within the Memphis Police Department. It would also examine whether the department violated the Fourth Amendment, including using excessive force or violating people’s constitutional rights.
In addition, the letter asks for the city to improve the department’s hiring practices and training. Williams says the officers charged in Nichols’ killing were all hired between 2017 and 2020, and were part of a specialized unit known as SCORPION, which targets violent criminals in high-crime neighborhoods.
He also questions the city’s use-of-force policies, which were strengthened in the aftermath of a controversial 2020 death by Minneapolis police of George Floyd. They include using only necessary amounts of force and a duty to intervene when a fellow officer’s actions are dangerous.
