Former President Barack Obama and first woman Michelle Obama on Saturday spoke out concerning the nation’s newest high-profile police killing, calling it a “painful reminder” of the issues that proceed to plague regulation enforcement.
“The vicious, unjustified beating of Tyre Nichols and his final dying by the hands of 5 Memphis law enforcement officials is simply the newest, painful reminder of how far America nonetheless has to go in fixing how we police our streets,” the couple said in a joint Twitter post.
Nichols, 29, died three days after he was repeatedly crushed and pepper-sprayed by a bunch of officers within the Tennessee metropolis throughout a site visitors cease on Jan. 7. All 5 have since been fired and charged with second-degree homicide.
Physique-camera video launched Friday exhibits the obvious disregard that officers had for Nichols’ life as they punched him, kicked him, and struck him with a baton a number of instances.
“I’m simply attempting to go dwelling,” Nichols instructed police at one level. A Taser was additionally deployed at Nichols as he tried to flee.
“I hope they stomp his ass,” an officer may be heard saying on video.
In a follow-up tweet, Barack Obama posted a hyperlink to the Obama Basis that outlines methods to help Nichols’ household.
“Together with mourning Tyre and supporting his household, it’s as much as all of us to mobilize for lasting change,” the previous president wrote.
On Friday, President Joe Biden mentioned he was “outraged and deeply pained to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in Tyre Nichols’ dying.”
Final yr, Biden launched a 2023 funds proposal requesting $35 billion “to help regulation enforcement” and to pay for 100,000 new officers.
“We should always all agree, the reply is to not defund the police,” Biden said throughout his State of the Union tackle on March 1. “It’s to fund the police.”