Piedmont Triad law enforcement respond to the death of Tyre Nichols

(WGHP) — Law enforcement agencies in the Piedmont Triad have released their responses to the death of Tyre Nichols.

Nichols, 29, of Memphis, died three days after he was beaten by police in a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

The Winston-Salem Police Department refrained from commenting on specifics regarding Nichols’ death but emphasized that they are listening to calls for police reform through the #8CANTWAIT campaign.

The WSPD also emphasized that they fully stand behind the recognition and protection of people’s First Amendment rights. They also encourage those who do exercise those rights to do so in a peaceful manner.

You can read their full statement below:

“We are aware of the events unfolding in Memphis related to the death of Tyre Nichols. While we cannot comment on specifics regarding that incident, we want to reiterate that the Winston-Salem Police Department listened to the calls for police reform that were made in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. One of the most popular reform movements at that time was the #8CANTWAIT campaign. At that time, now retired Police Chief Catrina Thompson spoke to the public and the Winston-Salem City Council and noted that the Winston-Salem Police Department was already following the recommendations with the proposals of the #8CANTWAIT campaign. The #8CANTWAIT campaign provides a list of eight policy changes that research has shown can reduce killings by police and save lives.

The Winston-Salem Police Department currently has practices and policies in place that are compliant with all eight of the #8CANTWAIT recommendations. The Winston-Salem Police Department’s Use of Force policy (General Order 1.27) was created on June 27, 1997 and is constantly being reviewed for best practices and updated based on court precedent and law. The latest revision to the policy was made on November 10, 2021. The recommendations from #8CANTWAIT are as follows:

1. Ban Chokeholds & Strangleholds: The Winston-Salem Police Department does not authorize the use of chokeholds or strangleholds except in circumstances where an officer is justified to use lethal force. Chokeholds and strangleholds are not taught during any training at the Winston-Salem Police Department. Winston-Salem Police Department General Order 1.27 specifically states, ‘Chokeholds and vascular neck restriction are prohibited unless deadly force is authorized under N.C.G.S. § 15A-401(d) (2).’

2. Require Warning Before Shooting: The Winston-Salem Police Department has a Use of Force policy in place that states that when practical, officers should issue a verbal warning prior to the use of deadly force. Officers may not always be able to utilize a verbal command due to incapacitation or circumstance. However, officers are trained starting in the police academy, that they should use verbal commands when using any type of force, lethal or non-lethal.

3. Duty to Intervene: The Winston-Salem Policy Department has a policy that requires officers to intervene and report any and all inappropriate actions that they witness of another officer, including supervisors. This includes use of force, misuse of authority, and unprofessional actions. (Professional Responsibility & Philosophy of Enforcement, General Order 7.13, created on 02-16-2010 and last revised on 07-18-2019)

4. Require Use of Force Continuum: The Winston-Salem Police Department has a multi-tiered Use of Force Continuum. Officers receive annual training on the Use of Force Continuum.

5. Require De-Escalation: The Winston-Salem Police Department requires many types of de-escalation training and crisis intervention training for officers. A few of the courses officers are required to attend are: Implicit Bias Training, De-Escalation for Persons in Crisis, Equality in Policing, Juvenile Minority Sensitivity Training, Best Practices for Community Dissent, and Crisis Intervention Training.

6. Require Exhaustion of All Alternatives Before Shooting: The Winston-Salem Police Department requires all officers to follow the Use of Force Continuum as a guide for force usage. There are circumstances where it may not be practical for officers to exhaust all alternatives as police work, by its nature is considered to be tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. Delaying force options in certain circumstances may result in a higher likelihood that an officer or citizens may be injured.

7. Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles: North Carolina General Statute 15A-401(d)(2) allows for officers to utilize deadly force when there is a threat or imminent threat of deadly physical force. Winston-Salem Police Department General Order 1.27 states, ‘Officers shall not discharge a firearm from a moving vehicle unless the officer reasonable believes no other means are practical to defend himself or other citizens from the use or imminent use of deadly force.’

8. Require Comprehensive Reporting: The Winston-Salem Police Department’s Use of Force policy that requires officers to document use of force incidents. Supervisors are required to respond to scenes where force has been used. Use of Force reports are reviewed by the involved employee’s chain of command. This includes review of the Axon body camera footage that officers are required to utilize.

The Winston-Salem Police Department encourages citizens to learn more about the agency through our Citizen’s Police Academy. This is a 13-week program where citizens are invited to learn how police officers perform their duties and about the police department as a whole. Citizens should visit our website for more information on this program.

If you would like to learn more about the Winston-Salem Police Department’s practices as it relates to #8CANTWAIT, we encourage you to watch the City of Winston-Salem Public Safety Committee meeting from June 8, 2020. The conversation related to this topic begins at 39:31. The video from the meeting can be found here.

The position of the Winston-Salem Police Department has been, and will continue to be, recognition and protection of the First Amendment rights of all citizens. Should citizens elect to exercise their First Amendment rights the Winston-Salem Police Department would encourage citizens to do so in a peaceful manner.”

Statement from WSPD

Chief John Thompson also released a statement on behalf of the Greensboro Police Department “condemning the brutal actions of the five former Memphis officers who are responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols.”

The GPD statement also emphasized police officers’ oath to serve and protect and described police officers being responsible for inflicting “senseless harm onto others” as “indefensible.”

GPD also lamented the fact that moments like these have the ability to “erode public trust in policing across the county” and emphasized that the Greensboro officers who “strive to meet the expectations of the community are offended and saddened by the dishonor this brings to the profession.”

You can read their full statement below:

“The Greensboro Police Department stands with the community in condemning the brutal actions of the five former Memphis officers who are responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Tyre Nichols and the greater Memphis community.

As police officers, we take an oath to serve and protect. When officers fail to do so, and are the ones responsible for inflicting senseless harm onto others, it is indefensible. It is the reality that actions of officers in one city have the ability to erode public trust in policing across the country. The men and women of the Greensboro Police Department who strive to meet the expectations of the community are offended and saddened by the dishonor this brings to the profession. 

We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and service. Our officers continually participate in comprehensive training with a focus on de-escalation, implicit bias awareness and procedural justice principles. The Greensboro Police Department has procedures in place to prevent, identify and address excessive force, misconduct, and behavior inconsistent with law and policy. The Greensboro Police Department will continue to listen, learn, and build relationships in our community. Our residents’ trust and support is essential in order to keep Greensboro safe for all people.”

Statement from Chief John Thompson on the death of Tyre Nichols

Condemnations of Nichols’ death have also come in on a national level.

Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, was “appalled” and “infuriated” by the “brutal assault on Tyre Nichols.” 

“The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong,” Yoes said. “This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law. The Memphis Police Department terminated the five officers who participated in this heinous attack. The district attorney and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have completed the investigation, arrested the former officers, and charged them with second degree murder.”

You can read his full statement below:

“The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong. This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law. The Memphis Police Department terminated the five officers who participated in this heinous attack. The district attorney and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have completed the investigation, arrested the former officers, and charged them with second degree murder.

Tyre Nichols allegedly fled from officers following a traffic stop. After a brief foot pursuit, five Memphis police officers caught up to Mr. Nichols and beat him so badly he had to be hospitalized. A few days later, he died of those injuries. Much as in the George Floyd murder case most, if not all, of the crime will be seen when the video is released later today.

According to reports, the fact that none of those officers—NONE of them—acted to stop this vicious attack, only compounds my horror—it is sickening. The men arrested and charged for this crime have rights, the presumption of innocence, and the due process protections of anyone accused of a crime. But the bottom line here is that Tyre Nichols, his family, and our entire country need to see justice done—swiftly and surely.

This criminal encounter should not and does not define the brave men and women of the Memphis Police Department or the more than 800,000 officers who keep our country and communities safe from the kind of violence that occurred in this incident.”

Statement from Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police 

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina said that they “vehemently condemn the actions of the officers involved, and demand they be held fully accountable.”

The ACLU of NC also said that they “join the Nichols family in their call for peaceful protest to demand justice for Tyre Nichols, accountability for the police officers responsible for his death, and action from lawmakers and law enforcement to enact policies that would ensure police are always held accountable for their actions in every jurisdiction throughout our country.”

You can read their full statement below:

“We are devastated on behalf of Tyre Nichols and his family, and demand a thorough investigation of his death. We vehemently condemn the actions of the officers involved, and demand they be held fully accountable.

The sheer brutality shown in the video once again proves how little progress has been made in preventing law enforcement officers from assaulting and killing Black and brown people with the assumption of impunity. The swift termination and criminal charges filed against the officers responsible for Mr. Nichols’ death should be the rule, not the exception. While these actions are correct and welcome, they are not enough.

We join the Nichols family in their call for peaceful protest to demand justice for Tyre Nichols, accountability for the police officers responsible for his death, and action from lawmakers and law enforcement to enact policies that would ensure police are always held accountable for their actions in every jurisdiction throughout our country.

Tyre Nichols should be alive today.”

Statement from Chantal Stevens, executive director of ACLU of NC