UrsulaWrenn
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- Jun 27, 2020
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I haven't read the whole thread yet. I watched the videos when they were released. I can't wrap my head around the behavior of the cops during the initial stop. Nothing TN did warranted any of the violence leashed on him. His demeanor and voice initially remained conversational. It was like watching a pack of wolves descending on an injured animal.
They were so unorganized and livid. What made them so livid? The rage increased when they were hit with their own pepper spray because they were so disorganized. They were nothing more than a group of men who were incapable of controlling their anger because someone didn't comply.
That word: comply. It conjures up so many situations in the past. "If he'd only listened to the officer." "All they asked him to do was comply." How many times have we heard that phrase. It is a precursor to a death penalty.
Cops have been leaving their jobs in droves in the last few years. A lot was attrition, some was turnover contagion and some was Covid. If you go on the federal roster of deaths of LE (ODMP.org), most of them died of Covid. For instance, in 2020, 436 officer died, 281 from Covid. In 2021, 668 died, 474 died of Covid. Then came George Floyd, demonstrations and riots. Most cities are operating under a shortfall. So what did Memphis do? They sent out a call for recruits. The criteria for screening subjects became lax. By 2022 they were offering a $15K signing bonus, the physical fitness test became an assessment not a timed test (evidence of that during the chase). No real community service hours and a consideration for those with a criminal record.
That's bad enough, but how did this laxness bleed into the Memphis FD and the EMT's? Why did they just stand around for ten minutes doing absolutely nothing while Tyre lay on the ground in obvious distress. They never looked at him, touched him. They stood around with the cops discussing how they all got to be there, well except the cop limping around because he probably broke some toes after kicking TN in the head.
So not only is it right and just that those five officers have been charged with a slew of charges, including second degree murder, but any of the other "public servants' who arrived on the scene should be charged with willful negligence causing death, not performing their duties as assigned and whatever else should be laid. And why only five cops? I counted at least 8 milling around during that damning silent movie from the pole camera that recorded every sordid, hateful things all involved did and didn't do to Tyre Nichols. Just a shameful, shameful abuse of power and an egregious display of apathy by the FD and EMTs.
I agree with every word you've said. I think your post very neatly summarizes my own thoughts right now.
"Just a shameful, shameful abuse of power and an egregious display of apathy by the FD and EMTs."
Bears repeating at least once.