KELOLAND.com

SD law enforcement weighs in on Memphis traffic stop

SIOUX FALLS, S.D (KELO) — Body cam footage of an arrest in Memphis that turned deadly is expected to be released at any time.

As many cities prepare for the public’s response, Sioux Falls Police say there are no indications of anything happening here. But the impact Tyre Nichols death is still being felt across the country.

According to the Memphis Police Department, it all started with a traffic stop. The situation ended with 5 police officers severely beating Tyre Nichols. He died three days later.

News of a violent traffic stop, like the one in Memphis, can impact the perception of law enforcement agencies across the country.

“That just makes us want to work harder to make sure that the public appreciates us and let the public know that we’re doing everything we can to do things the right way,” Clemens said.

KELOLAND News reached out to Attorney General Marty Jackley to ask how the AG’s office ensures incidents like this don’t happen in South Dakota.

“Certainly, when you look at officer involved shootings, we have our fair share in South Dakota, in fact, too many of them to make me comfortable as Attorney General. The way we deal with it in South Dakota is number one, we do it with training, that we have use of force training that all of our officers take, oftentimes side by side,” said Jackley.

Jackley says they’re constantly working to improve those trainings. Departments also do in-depth background checks before hiring new officers. It’s all in an effort to maintain the public’s trust and prevent future situations from turning deadly.

All 5 of the Memphis Police officers are charged with murder and have been fired from the Department for excessive use of force.