Killing of Tyre Nichols: Senseless Inhumanity in Memphis

Breaking News

No adjective is sufficient to describe the reaction one gets from watching five Memphis, Tenn., police officers beat 29-year-old Tyre Nichols to within an inch of his life. He later died of his injuries in a local hospital.

“Inhumane” and “senseless” are as close as it comes. While Nichols was accused of “reckless driving,” it was an insufficient charge to cause such a violent reaction by the five cops.

In fact, the 67-minute video shows Nichols posed no threat and tried to calm the officers, who were quickly dismissed from the force and their special “Scorpion” crime-fighting unit disbanded. In the gut-wrenching video, we hear Nichols calling out for his mother, who later stated she didn’t want any protests to turn violent.

All five officers have been charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression, and one count of aggravated assault.

You Might Like

Unfortunately, there are people who use such incidents for political purposes. One example came from CNN commentator Van Jones, who said even though the five officers were black (as was Nichols), the beating could still have been driven by racism. His argument was that police officers—even black police officers—”internalize” certain stereotypes about other black people.

Antifa is a group that seems to be on a mission to harm the country. It immediately called for nationwide protests, which quickly broke out in some major cities. An Antifa poster obtained by The Daily Mail called for demonstrators to gather in New York and other cities, bring weapons, and “burn it all down.”  On cue, protesters threw fireworks at a Los Angeles police cruiser and a squad car was smashed in New York. Thousands of protesters turned out in Memphis; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle.

Several things must be said about this in addition to condemning the undeniable cruelty of the beating Nichols sustained. In response to Jones’ suggestion of racism, black people are the majority race in Memphis, more than 64 percent of the population, according to the latest census, The mayor of the city and a majority of the City Council are black, as is the police chief.

That should quiet claims of racism among the population and the projection of this sin on other police officers who serve with honor and distinction, sometimes risking their own lives.

A question I have asked on several occasions when demonstrators became rioters and attacked property, looted, and committed other criminal acts: Who are these people? Are they all locals? If not, where did they come from? How did they get to these cities so quickly? What organization is paying them? Who printed and paid for some of their signs?

During past protests, there have been reports of trucks showing up and handing out preprinted signs. There is a website that offers protesters for virtually any cause in exchange for payment. It’s called “Crowds on Demand.” I have never heard a reporter ask any of the above questions or investigate who is behind some of these demonstrations, who underwrites the cost of their transportation, lodging, food, and whether any of them are being paid?

It does not diminish what happened in Memphis, or the culpability of the fired police officers, to ask these questions. From what the video shows, there was no justification for what happened to Nichols. Neither is there any justification for violent behavior in reaction to it, which changes and improves nothing.

The justice system will proceed, as it should. If the five men are found guilty, they will pay a stiff price. Unfortunately, Nichols has paid the ultimate price. No amount of justice for those now ex-cops will restore his young life.

COPYRIGHT 2023 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY LLC

The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.

Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.

Articles You May Like

Bill Maher, John Cleese Trash The New York Times for Leftist Tilt and Serious Omissions
Hypocrisy: Biden WH ‘Concerned’ About Venezuelan Ballot Candidate Exclusion
NYT Scribe Loathes Righty Activists: Don’t Edit Clips and Badger People, That’s Our Job!
‘People of Baltimore, we’re with you’, says Biden as six people still missing
Feds Have Showered Blue State With Tax Dollars to Fix Homelessness. It Keeps Getting Worse.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *