Justice for All Condemns The Vicious Murder of Tyre Nichols By Memphis Police

The standard for guaranteed human rights in the United States degenerates with every killing of the minority population at the hands of state police. The January 7th, 2023, traffic stop and beating that led to the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols is yet another example of excessive force used by police departments across the country. The world is watching the United States. The Biden administration stated its intention to restore the US human rights record, yet results have been negligible. Laws governing use of lethal force by police do not meet international standards.

Footage released on January 28, 2023, shows Memphis police officers kicking, punching and clubbing Nichols, a father of a four year old, for more than three minutes after he was pulled over for reckless driving. In the footage, which reveals the extent of the beating, five officers are seen towering over Nichols, who pleaded for his mother.

Justice for All condemns this police violence and demands changes in police accountability nationwide. The US Senate must act with urgency to introduce and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. We demand that state laws governing the use of lethal force by police – where such laws exist – comply with international law and humane legal standards.

We demand that all states pass laws limiting the excessive use of force by police. The training of police must include varied methods of de-escalation of conflict when a suspect resists arrest and there is no credible threat to police lives and well-being.

This new Congress has much work to do to right long-standing wrongs against vulnerable populations and to reverse injustices against American citizens committed by the very people who are supposed to protect them. These injustices are now commonplace and never fully recompensed and accounted for. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act can save lives by causing police officers to think twice or thrice before violating someone’s right to be treated as a cognizant, valued citizen.

URGENT ACTION: Call/Email Congress to Reintroduce & Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act