Activists from Black Lives Matter Lake County, Violence Interrupters, the Antmound Foundation, and the Legacy Reentry Foundation are standing in unity with the family of Tyre Nichols, the Memphis man who died after being beaten by police officers during a traffic stop.
On Monday, the local groups gathered in solidarity to push for police reform and commend the actions of the Memphis police chief and local district attorney in promptly releasing police video and charging the five officers involved.
"In three weeks of Tyre’s encounter, four videos were released. This is transparency," said Clyde McLemore, the founder of Black Lives Matter Lake County.
McLemore and others say this "swift action" should serve as a template for departments across the country.
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"This should be a national wakeup call," said Violence Interrupters executive director, Tio Hardiman.
"We’re not against the police department. We’re against excessive force and police brutality," Hardiman said.
Although the activists are glad for the quick action, they say Nichols' death shouldn't have happened. They're calling for police reform to include more accountability, mental health evaluations for officers and more collaboration between police and grassroots organizations.
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"The police have to step up and provide more anger management and emotional support for police nationwide," he said. "We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again, that’s the definition of insanity."
Pastor George Moore says this should not be a political issue rather an issue of humanity.
"This should never happen especially from people who are called to serve and protect us. He was a human being," said Moore.
"These acts call for all of us as decent human beings to question our own sense of humanity if we can somehow become desensitized by inhumane acts," he said.
