The Fortune Society Statement on Footage Showing Memphis Police Beating That Caused Death of Tyre Nichols

The Fortune Society issued the following statement tonight regarding the video that was released tonight showing the Memphis Police beating that caused the death of Tyre Nichols:

“It is impossible to witness the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols and not be horrified and saddened about the state of our nation. The Fortune Society joins all who mourn his death at the hands of five Memphis, Tennessee police officers. His murder – and let’s call it that, because it is nothing less – occurs within a pattern of too many instances of police brutality, scant instances of accountability, and utter disregard for the sacredness of human life.

Increasingly, Americans are deeply troubled by instances of police brutality against Black, Brown and marginalized communities. This “us versus them” mentality, where people continue to be victimized by the color of their skin, continues to fracture our nation. At The Fortune Society, we hear these stories every day from the people we serve – the discrimination, bias, and violence they endure, fostering deep fear and distrust toward law enforcement.

In contrast to the coverups and delays that we have seen all too often in cases of police brutality, we echo the sentiment of the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, in saying that the swift firing and prosecution of the involved police officers should serve as “…the blueprint going forward….” However, as commendable as the swift and appropriate response is, it cannot erase the horror of seeing Tyre Nichols beaten to death by the very police officers entrusted with the protection of community safety.

There is no silver lining tonight; we can hope that the images we have all seen will inevitably bring justice to Tyre’s family. But we know this is not the end; that this, sadly, will happen again. We believe when there is a fair legal system, including arrest, prosecutorial, incarceration and reentry practices, the deaths like that of Tyre Nichols and countless others will not occur.”