Biden calls for ‘meaningful reforms’ after officers charged in Tyre Nichols case

President Biden has called for “meaningful reforms” after five officers were indicted with second-degree murder charges in the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man in Memphis, Tenn. 

“Public trust is the foundation of public safety and there are still too many places in America today where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday. 

“Tyre’s death is a painful reminder that we must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment, and dignity for all.”

Black and Brown people have been “disparately” affected by fatal police encounters, Biden added.

“To deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect,” the president said. 

“Today, we all must re-commit ourselves to the critical work that must be done to advance meaningful reforms,” he added.  

On Thursday, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis released a video saying the five former officers were “directly responsible” for the physical abuse of Nichols.

Video footage of the arrest is expected to be released Friday evening, and leaders in Memphis are bracing for potential civil unrest ahead of tomorrow’s video release — something Biden cautioned against on Thursday. 

“As Americans grieve, the Department of Justice conducts its investigation, and state authorities continue their work, I join Tyre’s family in calling for peaceful protest,” Biden said. “Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable.  Violence is destructive and against the law.  It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice.”

Nichols was pulled over on Jan. 7 for reckless driving, according to the department, when he attempted to flee the scene and a “confrontation” with five Black officers broke out. Attorneys representing Nichols’s family said Nichols was beaten for three minutes by police officers. Nichols died in the hospital on Jan. 10. 

All five former officers face a litany of charges including second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. The former officers are all in custody.