Police Abuse of Power Continues to Degrade Trust

Two things can be true at once.

The officers who killed Tyre Nichols would not have faced charges as fast as they did if they were White.

They also deserve to face the full weight of what they have done. They may be Black, but they are no different from Derek Chauvin and are deserving of the same mercy.

I don’t need to see a video that would only remind me of George Floyd being tortured to death to know what happened.

Several officers of the Memphis Police Department abused their power over another man because Tyre’s Black skin made him exceptionally vulnerable to police abuse, no matter the skin color of the officers in question.

I am willing to bet that many if not all of the involved officers have a long history of misconduct and excessive force. Further investigations will reveal a policing culture inside Memphis as destructive to public safety as that of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Most importantly, Tyre is dead because several officers decided to beat him to death. As individuals, I suspect they did this for the same reason Chauvin murdered George Floyd.

A power trip.

That much of this behavior is tolerated and even encouraged in many police departments undermines public safety and confidence.

Confidence in policing as an institution is on a downward trajectory, which is dangerous, unsurprising, and completely deserved.

A Series of Messages

To White residents of Memphis who plan to march against this murder:

The only words out of your mouth when dealing with the organizers must be yes, sir; no, sir; yes, ma’am; no, ma’am. To maintain safety, especially of Black residents and marchers, you must obey the orders of the folks leading the protest. Don’t talk to the press. The organizers will have people for that. Keep an eye on your fellow White marchers in case any of them are saboteurs looking to start a riot, no matter who they are.

If any of you decide to treat marching like a game or the neighborhoods of people in agony as a playground to cosplay as a revolutionary, you deserve your fate.

To the elected officials of Tennessee, keep the National Guard on standby if the Memphis police decide to escalate this situation into a riot. If you are lucky, you won’t need to send in the Guard. Be more concerned about the fact that many civilian law enforcement personnel are either eager for a riot and so try to provoke one or are so hot headed that they end up starting one. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, especially if you have no plan. Send out elected officials to meet with them before any tear gas and rubber bullets start to fly.

To the Memphis Police Department, stand down and go home.

You have done enough damage.

P.S: Anyone looking to support Tyre's family, click here.