By now just about everyone is familiar with the Tyre Nichols case in Memphis, Tennessee. Last Friday (1/27) the clamoring for release of 67 minutes of both police body camera video and nearby security camera video tappings were released to the very anxious media and awaiting public.
Why anyone, after knowing the facts surrounding the brutal beating of Nichols and his subsequent death, would want to watch 67 minutes of a man being punched, kicked, dragged to the point of unconsciousness is beyond me. Unfortunately, these are times when human nature calls for more and more gore.
From a security camera perched above, Nichols is seen lying in the street. Two officers pin him down as a third appears to kick him in the head once, then again.
“Mom! Mom!” he cries.
He’s allowed to sit up, only to have an officer use his baton to beat him on his back. He wobbles up again, then absorbs a series of punches to the face and head. He’s doused in pepper spray.
The news media teased the release and always added the phrase: “We want to warn you some (?) of the video may be disturbing for viewers”. It doesn’t matter, some of the those viewers probably did watch all 67 minutes.
The five officers have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder and other offenses.
Of course, things could have been worse. Nichols, who was Black, was beaten by five Black Police Officers. Had any, or all of the officers been White, holy hell would have followed with all-out major riots and injures.
Yes, there were demonstrations and a few acts of real rioting, but White America missed a proverbial bullet in this case.
Instead, anger turned towards the single thought of overall police brutality.
Yes, there has been a long history of police brutality. I have witnessed such behavior while at school in Syracuse back in the 70s and have written about it before.
But with every case of police brutality, there are the vast majority of police embarrassed and distraught over such incidents.
Why would five Black Memphis police officers beat a Black man to death? Would they have reacted in same with a White traffic violator?
The problem is that police are asked to perform above board even though they are exposed to brutality, some on a daily basis. I would NOT ever be a police officer in a major city where death and mayhem are a part of life.
Would those Black police officers react the same way in individual settings over a group, mob incident?
Remember all those videos of rioters after past incidents. Would rioting, violence and looting take place in most individual situations? Probably not.
We assume bad police actions and rioting are not part of ‘mob’ reactions, but that is simply not true. When a riot, or lynching situation has occurred, it is not the intention of the individual, but the collective ‘mob’. Yes, I have witnessed what social pressure and mob rhetoric and actions looks like.
Those five Memphis police officers are probably good people, good people caught up in an adrenaline fueled, raging, out-of-control situation. Does that make such actions right? Absolutely not - and I am sure looking back they all question the who, what and whys of that night.
The officers will be convicted and regret being on the scene of that brutal beating of Tyre Nichols. Their lives will never be the same. The protests will subside, at least until the next time.
Police officers are held on a higher platform of conduct - but are they? Tell that to the rioters, looters and lynchers of the past.
Ask yourself this question. Had I been on the scene that night how would I have reacted? Don’t assume you would not be caught up in a mob reaction.
We are all too human in the end.
