January 27, 2023 — Cleveland — The video evidence released today in the beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis is horrifying. I am heartbroken for Tyre’s family—his parents, his siblings, and his young son. No family should ever have to experience what they are going through right now.
We have been here too many times without achieving the change we so desperately need.
What happened in Memphis on January 7 lays bare what is at stake if we do not get police reform right. Despite heightened awareness and nationwide organizing and activism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, change is not happening fast enough.
We must do better, and it starts with real accountability, real oversight, and working in partnerships across our communities.
Here in Cleveland, the new Community Police Commission—established by Issue 24—met for the first time on Wednesday to begin their critical work as one of the strongest citizen oversight boards in the country. We believe that this is the beginning of a new era in constitutional policing, powered by people and set up for real and lasting change.
I join leaders from across the country in denouncing the brutality that took this young man’s life, in calling for peace as the investigations continue, and in asking for justice for Tyre Nichols and his loved ones.
