‘I share in the anger.’ Charlotte reacts to Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols

Charlotte’s police chief said he supports the Memphis Police chief’s decision to fire five officers charged with murdering Tyre Nichols.

“I share in the anger and outrage that comes from this tragedy,” Charlotte Police Chief Johnny Jennings tweeted Friday afternoon. “There is always more to be done as we continue to improve police and community relationships. We must evolve and we must strive to be better.

“I stand by (Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis) and her swift decision to terminate these officers.”

The body camera footage of the Memphis officers beating 29-year-old Nichols at a Jan. 7 traffic stop is expected to be released by authorities Friday evening.

Davis, in a statement, called the video the most disturbing police misconduct she’s seen in 36 years of policing. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said the five officers, all of whom were Black, played different roles but were all responsible in the killing, the Associated Press reported.

The gruesome death of Nichols, who was Black, three days after being beaten by police officers has reignited years-long attention on acts of violence by police against specifically Black men in the United States.

The family’s legal team likened the assault to the 1991 Los Angeles Police beating of Rodney King, according to the Associated Press.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said she shares the pain and anger felt across the U.S. from the killing and urged those who wish to protest to do so in a “lawful” manner.

The NAACP, along with several other organizations in Charlotte, plan to hold a rally at 1 p.m. Saturday in front of the Mecklenburg County courthouse.

“Our community has not been immune to these issues that this terrible incident once again brings to the forefront,” Lyles said in a statement.

In 2016, Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by police in the parking lot of an apartment complex near UNC Charlotte on the afternoon of Sept. 20.

Charlotte’s response to Scott’s killing was a pivotal moment for organized protests in Charlotte, giving rise to the Charlotte Uprising, both as an organization and on-the-ground marches and demonstrations. More recently, in 2020, Charlotte activists and community members joined nationwide protests in the wake of the Minneapolis death of George Floyd, at the hands of police.