On this edition of Your Call, we continue our discussion about the police beating death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black son and father. He fled on foot after he was violently pulled from his car over for reckless driving, which has not been substantiated by officials. He was then apprehended and brutally beaten by five officers about a hundred yards from his mom's home.
Just under three weeks later, five officers were fired and indicted for crimes including second-degree murder, which is punishable by between 15 to 60 years in prison. Two officers have since been suspended. It is highly unusual for officers to be charged so quickly.
Civil rights attorneys say swift charges must become common practice in order to stop police brutality.
Guests:
Joshua Adams, organizer with Decarcerate Memphis
Tianna Mays Smith, associate director for the Criminal Justice Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law
Web Resources:
USA Today: Ben Crump applauded 'swift justice' in Tyre Nichols killing. Experts say the speed was 'unusual.'
The New York Times: As Officers Beat Tyre Nichols, a Crime-Fighting Camera Watched Over Them
The Guardian: ‘We’re not done’: end of Scorpion unit after Tyre Nichols death is first step, protesters say
TIME: Tyre Nichols Funeral: Friend Remembers Sensitive, Funny Pal
BBC: Tyre Nichols family demands policing reform bill at funeral
The Guardian: ‘It never stops’: killings by US police reach record high in 2022
