Montclair, NJ – Around the country, protests over police brutality are taking place in response to the brutal beating death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis.
“With great sadness, I watched the tape of the brutal assault of Tyre Nichols,” said Montclair NAACP President Roger Terry. “I’m glad that the Memphis law enforcement executives moved swiftly to remove these gang-like people from their department.”
Terry, who is also former Deputy Police chief of Montclair, as well as former Deputy Mayor, said that over the weekend, he communicated with the Montclair Police Chief Todd Conforti and Deputy Chief Wil Young.
“I periodically talk with them about local, state, and national issues. They assured me that the Montclair officers are constantly being trained on de-escalation procedures and that department supervisors review all use-of-force incidents. As a retired law enforcement executive and one who does consulting work with troubled departments, I find the Memphis officers severely repulsive. The Montclair Branch of the NAACP sends condolences to the Nichols family,” Terry added.
Montclair Police also issued this statement, from Chief Todd Conforti and Deputy Chief Wil Young:
The release of the Tyre Nichols video tonight will undoubtedly evoke feelings of anger, fear, and profound sadness. This was an unspeakable act that is contrary to the values of the Montclair Police Department.
The officers who assaulted and ultimately killed Mr. Nichols should be held accountable for their actions and their failure to intercede.
The Montclair Police Department sends its deepest condolences to the Nichols family.