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In the wake of the police killing of Tyre Nichols, several members of the Missouri House Democratic Caucus and Missouri Legislative Black Caucus released the following statements.
MLBC Chair Marlene Terry, D-St. Louis:
“There are no words to adequately describe the pure evil displayed by the five Memphis police officers who savagely killed Tyre Nichols. This heinous act is another example of the systemic problem with policing that too often brutalizes the Black community.
"The firm responses from Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn Davis and Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy are appreciated, though it must be noted that it is highly unlikely that five private citizens who participated in a violent kidnapping and public killing would be afforded the privilege of bail that the five now-former police officers have received. While we ultimately expect the former police officers to be held rightfully accountable by the law, swift justice should not only be reserved for when the offenders are Black. Policing will not get better until we have significant policy reform and hold every officer who commits these acts of inhumanity to account.
"The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus extend our sincerest condolences to the Nichols family and we join their call for peaceful protests. Additionally, we echo President Biden in urging Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The MLBC will make every effort to ensure that the blight of police brutality is finally a relic of the past."
Caucus Policy Chair Jamie Johnson, D-Kansas City:
“As mother of three—two of whom are young Black men—I feel compelled to speak about the horrifically violent death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five rogue Memphis police officers. As comfortable as I feel about my children’s safety in our Northland community, I live my life with a persistent fear that the privileged protection I feel here won’t extend to the many places my children might travel in their lifetimes.
“For my own mental health and well-being, I will not watch the body camera footage, but I understand that it shows an irrational, unnecessary act of evil that amounts to cruel and unusual punishment—regardless of what preceded it.
“Because the five officers who killed Tyre Nichols were all Black, they may likely face harsher penalties in being held accountable than we have historically seen in other instances of police brutality. While a harsher penalty is justified, the nuance of this complicated situation cannot be understated.
“That said, I applaud the swift and decisive action taken against the offending officers by Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, as well as the level of transparency and forthrightness from Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis. May their actions set a new standard for how law enforcement maintains trust within the communities it serves.”
State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis:
“What happened to Tyre Nichols is nothing short of a lynching. Officers of the Memphis Police Department forced Nichols from his vehicle during a routine traffic stop and immediately indicated violent intent. Then, he was pepper sprayed, beaten with police batons, punched, kicked, and brutalized just a hundred yards from his mother’s home to the point that the injuries he suffered led directly to his death.
“While law enforcement leaders in Memphis are acting quickly to hold these officers accountable, it remains disturbing that nearly one decade after Ferguson, we still see violence like this inflicted upon Black people by the authorities. The fact that it was five Black officers who committed this horrific act shows what activists around the country have been saying for nearly a decade: It is not the remediation of individual actors with law enforcement but the system itself that needs serious reform.
“That reform needs to happen now. We deserve and need law enforcement to recognize that Black lives matter, before we lose more innocent lives like Tyre Nichols.”
State Rep. Marlon Anderson, D-St. Louis:
“The release of body camera footage by the Memphis Police Department showing the brutal death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of law enforcement officers should disturb everyone. No one deserves to endure the violence and terror Mr. Nichols suffered in the last moments of his life. The fact that this atrocity occurred during what appears to be a routine traffic stop underscores precisely why people of color have a difficult time trusting members of law enforcement in even the most mundane scenarios — no matter the skin color of the officers involved.
“I want to thank Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis for illustrating how leaders are supposed to act when a great wrong is committed by police officers. They did not hesitate to act judiciously, and they have been open with the Memphis community and the nation that what happened to Mr. Nichols was abhorrent and unacceptable. It gives me hope that ongoing national community efforts to ensure accountability in law enforcement have begun to take root.
“However, their response does not change what happened. I pray that in the years ahead Mr. Nichols’ family and friends may find justice and peace.”
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