A new standard for police misconduct OPINION

Editorial

The city of Memphis, Tennessee, has been holding its breath for the past couple of weeks, awaiting the release of body camera footage from the Memphis Police Department after a routine traffic stop resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols.

According to an article from The New York Times, five members of the Memphis Police Department have been charged with second-degree murder, among additional charges, for the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. It is worth noting that the officers involved were terminated, investigated and charged before the body camera footage was released to the public, according to the Wall Street Journal. Officials from the Memphis Police Department urged citizens and protestors to remain calm ahead of the release of the body cam footage, with Police Chief Cerelyn Davis going on record saying that the actions of the officers were “a failing of basic humanity towards another individual,” according to an article from Yahoo News. The family of Tyre Nichols has also expressed the need for calm, with Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells stating, “We want peaceful protests … that’s what the family wants. That’s what the community wants.”