The swift actions taken against five former Memphis police officers that left them fired and behind bars have raised questions from critics on the handling of the investigation of Tyre Nichols’ death.
The officers accused of severely beating Nichols are all Black, and while their actions are universally condemned, critics of law enforcement are expressing how they wish white officers engaged in misconduct received penalties just as quickly.
“It took 2 weeks for 5 Black Memphis police officers to be fired and charged in the murder of #TyreNichols. If only white officers that consistently brutalize, abuse, and murder Black people were held accountable in like manner,” Bishop Talbert Swan said in a tweet.
Memphis, Tennessee, has a population of around 628,000, according to Census data. The city’s Black population is 64.4 percent.
Officials from the Memphis Police Department told WHBQ in 2021 the “department reflects the demographics of the community,” and 56 percent of its officers were Black.
However, filmmaker Bree Newsome argued that “diversifying the police force doesn’t end racism because racism is inherent to the organization of the institution & its daily operation. Racism is what policing is.”
“I need so many people to understand this regarding Tyre Nichols,” wrote sports analyst Jemele Hill. “Several of the police officers who murdered Freddie Gray were Black. The entire system of policing is based on…
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