From Tragedy Springs Hope
With the recent homicide of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, TN, nationwide we confront again the issue of police brutality which reared its ugly head back in May 2020 with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This time, however, the situation’s facts have changed a little, such that the issue’s underlying cause is distilled for all to see.
To recap back to May 2020, many commentators resorted to easy clickbait by attributing George Floyd’s fatal police encounter to racial animus. Such reactions are conditioned reflexes for some factions, but the script was different this time around. In the instance of Tyre Nichols, there was no racial variance between the suspect and arresting officers, which indicates that we have to look beyond mere appearances for this homicide’s root cause.
From the footage released thus far, in the initial encounter three unmarked cars converge on Nichols in his own car around 8:30pm. Six officers rush one guy, barking conflicting orders at him. Considering that even Memphis PD confirms no probable cause for the traffic stop based on the cited reckless driving, Nichols appears confused about the officers angrily converging on him. Rather than capitalize on the suspect’s signs of confusion by asking investigative questions (i.e., actual police work), the officers far exceed the necessity to secure the scene by coercing unquestioned compliance over all else, with irreversible… and foreseeable consequences.
Too frequently it is quipped that if police’s only tool is a hammer, then everyone looks like a nail. That is not strictly true, since police – especially in a city like Memphis – often have several other resources like paramedics and even clergy, which police can call in for assistance with suspects, but in this case, overwhelming coercion was their go-to.
The officers who killed Tyre Nichols saw no affinity with him based on skin-deep appearances. He was just another pesky citizen who objected to being bum rushed for what he knew to be (and importantly, what was) a bogus premise.
Some things have improved since 2020, however. Memphis PD officially has disbanded its aptly named “SCORPION” program ("Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods") in which this incident’s six officers were secretively participating, which notoriously employed fear tactics to intimidate citizens in selective neighborhoods. Maybe there is some hope in the future that citizens will be afforded a modicum of dignity before governmental employees presume the worst about them.
January 30th, 2023
Daniel Donnelly, Representative, Amenia
