The Memphis City Council approved multiple measures aimed at reforming the Memphis Police Department after the beating death of Tyre Nichols in January.
Among the reforms are requirements for an annual review of techniques for police training and a mandate that police officers only use marked vehicles for traffic stops, The Hill reported Wednesday. The latter requirement seems to be directly motivated by the January incident in that some officers involved in the beating were driving unmarked cars when Nichols was stopped, Reuters reported.
#BREAKING: Memphis council approves police reforms in wake of Tyre Nichols death https://t.co/LxYsbWT0wl pic.twitter.com/LKTO6pPrBQ
— The Hill (@thehill) March 8, 2023
Nichols, 29, was brutally beaten on the night of Jan. 7 after a traffic stop in Memphis. The city’s police chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, described the incident as “the same if not worse” than the Rodney King beating in 1991, the New York Post reported. Nichols succumbed to his extensive injuries three days later at a local hospital. The five officers involved in the beating are facing multiple charges including second-degree murder.
The Memphis City Council also voted in favor of a Citizen’s Law Enforcement Review Board, which would independently review department incidents including the use of excessive force, The Hill reported. The review board will have the authority not only to investigate reports of misconduct by the police department, but will also be authorized to recommend action in incidents involving excessive and deadly force, the outlet reported. (RELATED: JOHNSON & SMITH: Rethinking The Purpose Of Policing)
Another proposed reform dubbed the “Tyre Nichols Justice in Policing Ordinance” would ban racial profiling and require police to intervene in the event they witness excessive force performed by one of their colleagues, Reuters reported. The reform would also require police officers to assist suspects who appear to be in danger or distress. As all measures require three-readings before the council, this one has yet to be approved as it still needs two more readings to be eligible for a vote, according to the outlet.