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We will not be sharing any part of the video of Tyre Nichols murder, instead, you can visit his photography website or watch videos of him skateboarding.*
Tyre Nichols was a 29-year-old Black man. He was a beloved father, son, and friend. On Jan 7th, 2023, a gang of 5 policemen beat him so badly he died of the injuries just days later.
Enough is enough. Please sign the petition if you're finally ready to defund the police and fund communities across the United States. Tyre suffered from Crohn's disease, a horrible digestive disorder that made it hard for him to maintain a healthy weight. He was extremely thin. Some of the men who beat him were over 200 lbs.
Tyre should still be here, plain and simple. This instance of police brutality is
so heinous, that even the department the officers worked for isn't trying to cover it up or excuse it, the way departments often do. In fact, the officers have already been fired and charged with various counts of kidnapping and second degree murder.
The footage of the 5 policemen beating, macing and kicking Tyre is horrendous and we do not recommend anyone watches it. In it, Tyre yells out for his mom, who lives mere blocks from where he was beat for 3 minutes.
We should not have to watch this level of violence by armed, state sanctioned actors to know that it is wrong, it is preventable, and it must end. This department had already gone through 'reforms', they had body cam footage, they had racial sensitivity training, etc.
But the fact of the matter is that reform is not enough. We need actual community building, not increased policing. Reforming police means giving them more money to surveil, threaten, and harm us with - especially those already on the margins of society. That money should be going to helping community members: providing job training, mental health resources, community spaces and more. Not towards arming and training a state sanctioned gang.
Enough is enough. Please sign the petition if you're finally ready to defund the police and fund communities across the United States.
Tyre was a son, a friend and a father. He loved photography and skateboarding and his friends and family say he 'marched to the beat of his own drum'. He was a unique and wonderful person who will be greatly missed by his loved ones. He should still be here. His death is yet another reminder of the way the system is broken.
