Civil rights leaders say acquittals in Tyre Nichols' death highlight the need for police reform

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After 3 erstwhile Memphis constabulary officers were acquitted Wednesday successful the beating decease of Tyre Nichols, assemblage and civilian rights leaders expressed outrage implicit different disappointment successful the agelong propulsion for constabulary reform.

Nichols' decease astatine a postulation halt much than 2 years agone sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for systemic alteration arsenic the archetypal post-George Floyd lawsuit that revealed the limits of an unprecedented reckoning implicit radical injustice successful Black America.

Now, Wednesday's acquittals again amusement the request for reforms astatine the national level, civilian rights leaders said.

“Tyre and his household merit existent justness — not lone successful the courtroom, but successful Congress, by passing constabulary betterment authorities erstwhile and for all," NAACP President Derrick Johnson posted connected societal media. "Traffic stops should ne'er beryllium a decease sentence, and a badge should never— ever — beryllium a shield to accountability.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke Wednesday to Nichols' parent and stepfather, said they were outraged.

“Justice tin inactive beryllium delivered,” Sharpton added successful a statement, referring to the officers' upcoming sentencing successful a national civilian rights case. “Tyre’s decease was preventable, inexcusable, and tragic.”

Nichols, 29, was connected his mode location connected Jan. 7, 2023, erstwhile helium was stopped for an alleged postulation violation. He was pulled retired of his car by officers, 1 of whom changeable astatine him with a Taser. Nichols ran away, according to video footage that showed him brutally beaten by 5 officers. An autopsy found helium died from blows to the head.

Three officers were acquitted Wednesday of each authorities charges, including second-degree murder, successful the fatal beating. All 5 officers, the metropolis of Memphis and the constabulary main are being sued by Nichols’ household for $550 million. A proceedings has been scheduled for adjacent year.

“Let this beryllium a rally and cry: We indispensable face the breached systems that empowered this injustice and request the alteration our federation — and Tyre’s bequest — deserves,” said civilian rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, who is representing the household successful the lawsuit.

After Floyd's 2020 execution by a erstwhile Minneapolis constabulary officer, states adopted hundreds of constabulary betterment proposals, creating civilian oversight of police, much anti-bias grooming and stricter use-of-force limits, among different measures. But national reforms successful the George Floyd Justice successful Policing Act person been stuck successful Congress without capable bipartisan enactment to get enacted during the Biden administration.

The Nichols lawsuit sparked a 17-month national investigation into the Memphis Police Department, which recovered a big of civilian rights violations, including utilizing excessive force, making amerciable postulation stops and disproportionately targeting Black people.

Last year, police traffic-stop reforms enactment successful spot successful Memphis aft Nichols’ decease were repealed by GOP Gov. Bill Lee, contempt pleas from civilian rights advocates.

One of the ordinances had outlawed postulation stops for reasons unrelated to a motorist's driving, specified arsenic a breached taillight and different insignificant violations. Lee echoed arguments from Republican lawmakers who said Nichols’ decease needed to effect successful accountability for officers who maltreatment power, not caller limits connected postulation stops.

Speaking aft Wednesday's acquittal, Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy said: “Our bureau volition proceed to propulsion for accountability for everybody who violates the law, including if not especially, those who are sworn to uphold it.”

“If we’re going to person immoderate metallic lining from this acheronian unreality of some the lawsuit itself and successful my presumption today’s verdict, it has to beryllium that we request to reaffirm our committedness to constabulary reform,” helium said.

Thaddeus Johnson, a erstwhile Memphis constabulary commandant and a elder chap astatine the Council connected Criminal Justice, said Nichols' beating and Wednesday's acquittal compound wounds from generations of policing problems successful the majority-Black city.

“I bash judge that betterment is local, but I bash judge this has benignant of enactment a achromatic oculus connected things,” Johnson told the AP. "People consciousness similar constabulary cannot beryllium held accountable. Or they won’t beryllium held accountable.”

Andre Johnson, a pastor astatine Gifts of Life Ministries successful Memphis and a assemblage activist, said helium was disappointed but not amazed astatine the verdict.

“It is highly hard to convict officers adjacent erstwhile they are connected camera,” helium said, calling the acquittal ”a large and clarion acknowledgement that definite groups of radical bash not matter.”

“For a batch of radical who person had engagement with constabulary officers, the connection is large and clear: that adjacent if we get you connected camera, doing what you did to Tyre, that you cannot look justice.”

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Brewer reported from Norman, Oklahoma. Mattise reported from Nashville. AP writer Travis Loller successful Nashville contributed.

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