By Wiley Henry
April 6, 2023
MEMPHIS, TN — The tragic death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers provided the impetus for a panel discussion on overzealous policing and accountability on March 30 at the National Civil Rights Museum.
Moderated by MSNBC’s Joy Reid, a political analyst, and the host of “The Reid Out,” the panelists kicked off the first of a four-part national convening entitled “The Reckoning, The Resolve, The Restoration, and The Resilience.”
Panelists Benjamin Crump, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, Cheryl Dorsey, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and Alex S. Vitale addressed “The Reckoning,” a focus on community policing and accountability.
“Historically, we’ve seen victims of violence by law enforcement, not only Rodney King and George Floyd, but here in Memphis – from Larry Payne to Elton Hayes to Tyre Nichols,” said NCRM President Dr. Russ Wigginton at the apex of the panel discussion.
“It is a longstanding legacy of abuse and injustice,” he said, adding, “We’re seeking solutions to ridding society of injustice today.”
“We can talk about this issue in theory. You have to live it in fact,” said Reid, referring to RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, and asked: “What does reform look like to you?”
“Police officers should treat people as equals,” said RowVaughn Wells, noting that too many Black and brown people are being murdered by police officers. “I’m not understanding why this keeps happening.”
Rodney Wells sees the problem as a lack of accountability. “The police officers, whether they’re Black, brown, green or yellow, need to be held accountable for their actions,” he said.
He added that too many parents in America are going through the same thing that his family is going through – such as losing a loved one to police violence.
“We don’t need immunity for officers when they’re doing something wrong,” Rodney Wells said.
A grand jury indicted the five Black officers on multiple charges in the death of Tyre Nichols, including second degree murder. The MPD responded swiftly and fired the officers.
“That tells us that there is something deeply and systemically wrong,” Reid said. “It’s not just about hiring more Black officers.”
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