The fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, allegedly at the hands of five Black Memphis police officers, has caught the country’s attention and sparked a conversation about the state of policing in America. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family of George Floyd in securing a $25 million settlement from the city of Minneapolis, is now representing the family of Tyre Nichols. He appeared on ABC’s “The Week” to discuss the case and its implications for the larger issue of racially biased policing in America.
Joining Crump on the show was former Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson, who offered his perspective on the case and the state of policing in America. Both Crump and Jackson argued that the case of Tyre Nichols highlights the systemic and institutionalized bias in police culture.
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Crump said that this case is not just a Memphis problem, but a nationwide problem, and that America has a culture of policing that is infected with bias. That bias often results in the excessive use of force, particularly against people of color.
Jackson echoed Crump’s sentiment, stating that the police culture in America has been biased against communities of color for decades and that this bias is often perpetuated through training and policies that prioritize aggression over de-escalation.
Jackson said that we need to recognize that this bias exists and affects not just Black Americans, but all people of color.
The case of Tyre Nichols has reignited the conversation about police brutality and the need for systemic change in the criminal justice system. With the representation of the family by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the insights of former police chief Tom Jackson, the case is sure to bring national attention to the issue of racially biased policing and the need for reform.
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