On the evening of January 7, 2023, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was headed home when he was pulled over by police for what they reported was reckless driving. Body cam and other video show that Nichols pulled over, attempted to comply, and was tased and brutalized anyway, prompting him to run for his life. Police caught up to Nichols near his home, where they beat him with fists, kicks, and batons before leaving him leaned against a police cruiser without rendering first aid. Three days later, Nichols died as a result of severe bleeding due to injuries he sustained during the beating.
Now, a community and an entire country who has seen this same type of story play out too many times wants answers, and they want to do something about deaths like Tyre Nichols’. President Obama spoke out on Twitter about the need for mobilization.
Along with mourning Tyre and supporting his family, it’s up to all of us to mobilize for lasting change. To learn more about how communities can reimagine public safety to prevent both crime and injustice, go to https://t.co/I39Nsel4vs.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 28, 2023
President Obama has spoken up to grieving communities following the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and all of the other names that have grown sadly familiar to those who have seen issues of police brutality play out on body cams and cell phone footage in recent years. While the issue of racism among police and white supremacy as a feature of the law enforcement system is not new, the abundance of cameras to catch footage of evidence has made the issue all too real for Americans of all races.
Those same Americans want to act, and Obama reminded them that he empathizes with their outrage and that action is necessary.
On the Obama Foundation website, it says that:
‘The killings of young Black men like Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, and too many others at the hands of their fellow citizens—in addition to the Black lives of Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd being cut short by police—have left many of us anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve.’
Twitter had a lot of thoughts about the killing of Tyre Nichols and President Obama’s response to it. Read some of their comments below:
