Tyre Nichols - An Essay
My thoughts as a Black woman, raising a son, with the never ending fear of racist police violence.
I decided to write out my thoughts about the murder of Tyre Nichols because I have so many feelings about his particular story and its aftermath. It has taken me a while to get this piece out because there is always so much happening both here and around the world. It is easy to find a new thing for which to be disturbed.
The incidents of police violence have not stopped, nor have racism or mass shootings. As the number of deaths by racist violence increases, it made revisiting Tyre’s case more difficult. That said, I felt compelled to write, because I needed to both release and share it.
Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the life of Tyre Nichols, who did not start his day on January 7, 2023 seeking to be a martyr, or to be next on the #SayHisName list. At 29 years old, Tyre was a skateboarder, artist, father, and son. I have no desire to write anything without acknowledging his life, and the light that was lost.
Next, I must acknowledge the abject violence necessary to beat another person to death. At 150 pounds, due to his Crohn's diagnosis, Tyre Nichols did not have the body type that could sustain any traumatic level of physical violence, much less what he endured at the hands of the Memphis PD’s SCORPION unit. As such, it is not difficult to imagine the terror Tyre felt as he literally tried to run home. I have no doubt he was guided by the thought of just getting there, firmly believing he would be safe. He was only 4-5 houses from his front door when he was set upon by a group of men who failed to see his humanity. Followed by additional officers from the Memphis PD, the Sheriffs office, and emergency medical technicians who all stood around while Tyre’s body slowly gave out.
Make no mistake, it is the physical violence that pushed Tyre’s body beyond the ability to survive. Medical aid serves to provide remedy for damage already caused. It attempts to repair harm. It does not prevent harm. The failure to provide medical aid, although a contributing factor, did not cause Tyre’s death. They did, in their callousness, fail to save him via whatever care could have been provided. Therefore, they should be charged as accessories to the murder. The cops killed Tyre, and everyone else failed to take the necessary steps to try to revive him.
There is something deeply painful that comes with understanding that people, whether they look like you or not, can so easily dismiss life as unimportant. Tyre Nichols was a son, a father, an artist and most importantly, a person. To be able to ignore the fundamental right of any person to continue to live is something I can never personally understand. Therefore, I am not even going to attempt to comprehend how anyone could not only physically participate in his murder, but also how no one was moved to make any effort to save him in the aftermath of the violence.
The city officials in Memphis, the police chief, as well as local and national mainstream media immediately placed the focus on the five black police officers who participated in the murder. They were sure to present them to the public. To remove them from the department, and to announce swift punishment via the court system. In fact it was so swift, and officials were so willing to present video footage, I immediately started to question the response. Why with this case? Could it be that officials and the media finally had the right people to publicly punish? Or was it all distraction in an attempt to remove the undeniable presence of white supremacy as a foundation of policing.
Black law enforcement officers, simply put, are a part of a systemically racist organization. Policing is a system born from slave catching in order to protect the property of the rich. Black law enforcement officers join the police force for a variety of reasons. These include claims of wanting to make things better, but they almost always ended up on the wrong side of the blue line. As such, they either leave the profession or they become a part of the problem. The rare officer who attempts to actually prevent police violence is abused and run out. Further, far too many wait until after leaving the force to be honest about what happens within police departments.
It was with this knowledge that I watched the marketing, and I use that term with intention, of the video footage. The multiple warnings of the violence and horrifying nature of what would be seen. It all started to sound like a movie premiere promotion. The promotion of what is essentially a snuff film, directed by the Memphis PD, and promoted by the media. Then while watching one of the video feeds, I saw something interesting. White hands driving the vehicle, pointing a taser, and chasing Tyre. However, there had been no white officer named or publicized as involved.
The removal of the white officer with the taser who participated in the initial incident of police brutality, as well as the limited information on the Scorpion task force of which all of these officers are members, should give anyone pause. It is clear to me the media worked in conjunction with the police department and city officials to present certain facts, while deliberately leaving out additional information also relevant to Tyre Nichols’ murder.
The public has since been made aware of multiple officers not originally named in reports. The original police report has been recognized as fiction. The officers, now all out on bail, have plead “not guilty” to the murder of Tyre Nichols. The media has gone back to pretending the answer to all community issues is more police. The family sent a letter to the United Nations. It will be read. Perhaps another committee can be formed to release another report similar to that written by the International Commission of Inquiry on Racist Police Violence Against People of African Descent in the United States released in May, 2021. The family will then likely enter negotiations with Ben Crump for a settlement. Finally, Tyre’s name will be added to the unending list of people killed by police, a disproportionate number of whom are black.
Meanwhile, nothing will change. Money will continue to be poured into police departments. Police foundations will continue to support police violence via military grade weapons and facilities like that scheduled to be built in Atlanta. Police unions will continue to support officers who kill citizens. The president and congress will stand and clap in unity behind police funding. The numbers of people killed by police, tracked diligently by sites like Mapping Police Violence, will continue to rise. People will continue to suffer at the hands of a system created solely to protect property held by the rich and corporations.
This is not a system that can be adjusted or redeemed. It cannot be fixed or rebranded. The system is not broken. It works as it was meant to work, so it must be dismantled. Completely abolished and rebuilt to work within functional communities equipped with the resources necessary for the people to survive.
I doubt I will see this happen in my lifetime. However, for the sake of my son, I hope it happens without him becoming a victim of the same violence and disregard for life that took Tyre Nichols away from his parents.
A painful and well written essay that we all need to read and re-read and consider and then decide how we must respond to these truths.
Well it wasn't supposed to do that. 😁