The Issue: The death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols after being beaten by five Memphis police officers.
It’s glaringly evident that the five officers involved in the Memphis incident either never received proper police training or inexplicably disregarded such training (“Senseless,” Jan, 28).
This type of behavior by officers who know they’re wearing bodycams is incomprehensible to me, and I can only conclude that uncontrolled rage took over — which is inexcusable.
The individuals responsible for Tyre Nichols’ death need to be held strictly accountable for their actions, and the department that put these officers on the street needs to be thoroughly re-evaluated.
Thomas Urban
Wantagh
Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, and activists wanted police departments defunded.
Reacting, the Memphis Police Department mandated that its officers intervene when another officer employed excessive force.
Policies notwithstanding, five (now fired) Memphis police officers beat, kicked and pepper-sprayed Tyre Nichols for three minutes. Hate fueled their barbarity and exposed their raging pathology, wherein they denied Nichols’ inherent humanity.
These criminalistic cops perverted their oath to protect and serve, and used their badges as a license to kill.
Marc D. Greenwood
Opelika, Ala.
A bully with a badge is a frightening thing. People are calling for better training of our police officers. That certainly will help, but what is really needed is better selection of police recruits.
Too many police officers are high-testosterone bullies. Better candidate selection and more female police officers will go a long way to solving the police bully problem.
Police bullying may be more prevalent in black communities, but people of all races, especially young people, have to be careful in any police interaction.
Dick Coleman
Mt .Sinai
The senseless beating death of Tyre Nichols by five police officers rekindled a memory from my college days, decades ago.
I read a searing account from a colleague on the campus newspaper who recalled his near-death on a battlefield.
As Tyre did on a street in America, my colleague, Sam, wailed for his mother as he lay dying in a rice paddy in Vietnam. Unlike Tyre, Sam survived and is still with us today.
Sam nearly gave his life serving his country. Tyre had his own life taken from him on his native soil by fellow citizens who had pledged to protect and serve him and the others in their community.
And while one mother was privileged to hug her baby boy again, another’s arms will never again be so blessed.
Vin Morabito
Scranton, Pa.
The Memphis police officers who were responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols must be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law will permit.
This young man allegedly was pulled over because the officers claimed he was driving erratically, but there has been no evidence to support that allegation.
His family is demanding justice, and they have every right to want that. No police officer should be able to commit such a terrible crime against an innocent person.
Ninety-nine percent of the police officers in our country are dedicated, professional and respectful men and women who risk their lives every single day to protect the public from harm. These five officers have disgraced themselves and their badges by what they have done.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
This horrific beating of a 29-year-old by five Memphis cops was shocking and, in all likelihood, will result in prison sentences.
In effect, their policing killed a man. Their tactics were beyond brutal and the sooner this case goes to trial, the better for all.
These five officers obviously shouldn’t have been policemen in the first place. From what we saw clearly, it wasn’t by-the-book. Their conduct was savage.
Ron Zajicek
Cortlandt
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