ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rochester faith leaders came together with the community Tuesday night in honor of Tyre Nichols, and to condemn the actions of those police officers in Memphis.
Faith leaders say they hope the discussions will open the path to solutions. They say Tyre Nichols’ death hits home to the Rochester community, comparing it to Daniel Prude’s death.
Prude died a few days after being physically restrained by Rochester police officers in 2020.
A large focus of the evening was about bridging the gap between law enforcement and community members.
“This has undoubtedly set law enforcement back several feet. And we want to be the caticism, we want to be the nucleus between community and law enforcement,” Pastor Benjamin Cox said.
“This is the first time in years that the city of Memphis has been in such a crisis,” Reverend Dr. Rickey Harvey said. “It means a lot to me. My 93-year-old mom is in Memphis, my siblings are there, so it means a lot to me to see my home city in such disarray.”
Dr. Harvey also emphasized the importance of being kind to one another. According to him, it’s just one step toward making sure this doesn’t happen again.
A vigil for Tyre Nichols will take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m. It will be held at Daniel Prude Square located at MLK Park.