Five police officers beat a Black man, Tyre Nichols, to death in early January and now are facing multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping.
The Memphis (Tenn.) Police Department fired the officers immediately. The district attorney calls the video of the incident one of the most horrific things he’s ever witnessed.
Now, what makes this case so different from previous officer-involved reports of brutality? All five of the former cops are Black!
Memphis police are planning to release the video to the public later today. Big-city PDs are gearing up for potential violent reactions from the communities they protect. We have two big cities near us in North Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth, and those cities’ police departments are preparing for the worst, which no one wants to occur.
The mother of the man who died in Memphis has asked that any protests occur peacefully.
Police brutality is the same heinous act no matter the race of the officers or of their victims. Thus, police departments throughout the land are wise to be on guard to react to violent protests should they occur.
May their preparation deter any response that crosses the line separating peaceful protest from all-out mayhem.