Police veteran blames lack of humanity and supervision for Tyre Nichols' death
Lawrence Billups has been fighting to protect the public in Birmingham since 1991.
So, when he watched video of officers punching Tyre Nichols during his Memphis arrest, he was heartbroken.
"That right there, is absolutely disgusting. It is something, as an officer who has fought for their life, I would never do another human being like that," Billups said.
During the original scuffle during the initial traffic stop, Billups told us he thought there were too many officers barking orders at Nichols, leading to chaos.
"He’s got one guy telling him he’s going to tase him. He’s got another person telling him to put his hands behind him. He’s got another officer telling him to get on the ground. Well, he’s on the ground," Billups said.
The veteran officer believes a lack of humanity and insufficient supervision on the scene were the key factors in the assault that ultimately claimed Nichols' death.
"You cannot train humanity. You can’t train that kind of anger out of a person," Billups said.
He went on to say Birmingham utilizes similar crime reduction units like the one Nichols encountered.
However, he feels his department has enough supervision and senior leadership in place to prevent officers from going too far.