An unarmed Black man dies after a videotaped beating by police. The officers involved are fired. After a thorough review of the evidence, criminal charges are swiftly filed against the offending officers.
Investigation, accountability and charges.
This is often the most Black citizens can hope for as the deaths continue. Nationwide, police have killed roughly three people per day consistently , according to academics and advocates for police reform who track such deaths.
fatal encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, recorded in , is a glaring reminder that efforts to reform policing have failed to prevent more flashpoints in an intractable epidemic of brutality.
Nearly 32 years ago, by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change. They害羞草研究所檝e been repeated in a ever since, punctuated by the deaths of in New York, in Oakland, California, in Ferguson, Missouri, and so many others.
was so agonizing to watch, it summoned a national reckoning that featured federal legislation proposed in his name and shows of solidarity by corporations and sports leagues. All fell short of the shift in law enforcement culture Black people in America have called for 害羞草研究所� a culture that promotes freedom from fear, trust in police and mutual respect.
害羞草研究所淲e need public safety, right? We need law enforcement to combat pervasive crime,害羞草研究所� said Jason Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis. 害羞草研究所淎lso, we don害羞草研究所檛 want the people who are sworn to protect and serve us brutalizing us for a simple traffic stop, or any offense.害羞草研究所�
The and other crimes in the Jan. 10 death of Nichols, a 29-year-old skateboarder, FedEx worker and father to a 4-year-old boy.
From police brass and the district attorney害羞草研究所檚 office to the White House, officials said Nichols害羞草研究所� killing points to a need for bolder reforms that go beyond simply diversifying the ranks, changing use-of-force rules and encouraging citizens to file complaints.
害羞草研究所淭he world is watching us,害羞草研究所� Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said. 害羞草研究所淚f there is any silver lining to be drawn from this very dark cloud, it害羞草研究所檚 that perhaps this incident can open a broader conversation about the need for police reform.害羞草研究所�
President Joe Biden joined national civil rights leaders in similar calls to action.
害羞草研究所淭o deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect,害羞草研究所� the president said.
But Memphis, whose 628,000 residents celebrate barbecue and blues music and lament being the place where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, The city took steps advocates called for in a 害羞草研究所淩eimagine Policing害羞草研究所� initiative in 2021, and mirrored a set of policy changes reformers want all departments to implement immediately, known as 害羞草研究所�8 Can害羞草研究所檛 Wait.害羞草研究所�
De-escalation training is now required. Officers are told to limit uses of force, exhaust all alternatives before resorting to deadly force and report all uses of force. State law now requires officers to intervene to stop abuse and report excessive force by their colleagues.
, the MPD now publishes accountability reports that include the race of people subjected to use of force each year. They show Black men and women were overwhelmingly targeted for rougher treatment in 2019, 2020 and 2021. They were subject to nearly 86% of the recorded uses of guns, batons, pepper spray, physical beatings and other force in 2021, the total nearly doubling that year to 1,700 cases.
Seven uses of force by Memphis police ended in death during these three years.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know how much more cumulative Black death our community should have to pay to convince elected officials that the policing system isn害羞草研究所檛 broken 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 working exactly as it was designed to, at the expense of Black life,害羞草研究所� said Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, co-executive director of a Tennessee-based civil rights leadership training school.
The Nichols case 害羞草研究所� just one of the brutality cases to make national news this month 害羞草研究所� exposes an uncomfortable truth: More than two years since the deaths of Floyd, and touched off protests, policing reforms have not significantly reduced such killings.
States approved nearly 300 police reform bills after Floyd害羞草研究所檚 murder, creating civilian oversight of police, more anti-bias training, stricter use-of-force limits and alternatives to arrests in cases involving people with mental illnesses, according to at the University of Maryland.
Despite calls to 害羞草研究所渄efund the police,害羞草研究所� an nationwide found only modest cuts, driven largely by shrinking revenue related to the coronavirus pandemic. Budgets increased and more officers were hired for some large departments, including New York City害羞草研究所檚.
Still stuck in Congress is which would prohibit racial profiling, ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, limit the transfer of military equipment to police departments, and make it easier to bring charges against offending officers. Biden said he told Nichols害羞草研究所� mother that he would be 害羞草研究所渕aking a case害羞草研究所� to Congress to pass the Floyd Act
The Rev. Al Sharpton said his eulogy at Nichols害羞草研究所� funeral on Wednesday will include a call for new laws. NAACP President Derrick Johnson also took Congress to task.
害羞草研究所淏y failing to write a piece of legislation, you害羞草研究所檙e writing another obituary,害羞草研究所� Johnson said. 害羞草研究所淭ell us what you害羞草研究所檙e going to do to honor Tyre Nichols. 害羞草研究所� We can name all the victims of police violence, but we can害羞草研究所檛 name a single law you have passed to address it.害羞草研究所�
Advocates want state and federal legislation because local changes vary widely in scope and effect and can be undone by a single election after years of grassroots activism. But some say strict regulations are just the start 害羞草研究所� and the video of Nichols害羞草研究所� agony proves it.
害羞草研究所淐hanging a rule doesn害羞草研究所檛 change a behavior,害羞草研究所� said Katie Ryan, chief of staff for a group of academics, policing experts and activists working to end police violence. 害羞草研究所淭he culture of a police department has to shift into actually implementing the policies, not just saying there害羞草研究所檚 a rule in place.害羞草研究所�
The five officers charged 害羞草研究所� Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith 害羞草研究所� were part of the so-called Scorpion unit. Scorpion stands for Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods.
The Memphis police chief, Cerelyn 害羞草研究所淐J害羞草研究所� Davis, on Saturday.
害羞草研究所淚t is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the Scorpion unit,害羞草研究所� she said in a statement.
Prior to the move by Davis, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said it was clear that the officers involved in the attack on Nichols violated the department害羞草研究所檚 policies and training.
害羞草研究所淚 want to assure you we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,害羞草研究所� Strickland said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淲e are initiating an outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations of our specialized units.害羞草研究所�
The Memphis police union extended condolences to Nichols害羞草研究所� family, saying it 害羞草研究所渋s committed to the administration of justice and NEVER condones the mistreatment of ANY citizen nor ANY abuse of power.害羞草研究所� The statement also expressed faith that the justice system would reveal 害羞草研究所渢he totality of circumstances害羞草研究所� in the case.
Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, pushed back against the conclusion that policing must change. This was not 害羞草研究所渓egitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong,害羞草研究所� Yoes said. 害羞草研究所淭his is a criminal assault under the pretext of law.害羞草研究所�
Protesters turned out again Friday night after the city released the video footage. Turner, the Memphis pastor, called the images 害羞草研究所渇urther proof that our city害羞草研究所檚 and our nation害羞草研究所檚 criminal justice systems are in dire need of change.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not like we害羞草研究所檙e short on concrete, reasonable recommendations,害羞草研究所� said the Rev. Earle Fisher, senior pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church. 害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檙e short on is the political will and the commitment to making the structural changes.害羞草研究所�
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Associated Press reporter Noreen Nasir contributed from Memphis, Tennessee. Adrian Sainz also reported from Memphis. Aaron Morrison reported from New York, and Claudia Lauer from Philadelphia.
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer And Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press
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