JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK: VIOLENT KILLING OF TYRE NICHOLS IS APPALLING, POLICYMAKERS MUST ACT

Immoral, inhumane behavior displayed by Memphis cops has no place in our communities, says executive director Jenna Bottler

Washington, DC – The nation’s largest bipartisan criminal justice reform organization, The Justice Action Network, responded to the shocking footage of the death of Tyre Nichols today.

“The Justice Action Network team joins the nation this weekend in grieving the tragic loss of Tyre Nichols to incomprehensible violence at the hands of members of law enforcement in Memphis,” said executive director Jenna Bottler. “The brutality displayed by the officers who beat Tyre is appalling, immoral and inhumane. The men and women who patrol our communities are the frontline workers of America’s justice system, and it is imperative that we are able to trust them and their conduct on our streets. We commend Shelby County officials for swiftly bringing charges in this case and encourage policymakers across the country to act equally as swiftly to ensure an atrocity like this never happens again. People who are capable of such malicious disregard for human life should never be entrusted with the privilege of a career in policing. We must remove officers who are a threat to the community and a stain on the profession from our agencies and work to recruit and retain high-quality officers who are instead called to protect and serve with honor, dignity and compassion -- every stop, every interaction, every time.”

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