Statesboro’s police chief shares his thoughts on the death of Tyre Nichols

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - Police say Tyre Nichols was brutally beaten during a traffic stop Jan. 7.

He died in the hospital three days later from his injuries.

5 officers are now charged with second degree murder and have been fired for their involvement.

Statesboro’s police chief posted his thoughts on the case on the department’s social media pages.

Statesboro’s police chief says officers and agencies nationwide can, and should, condemn the actions that led to the death of Tyre Nichols without condemning law enforcement as a whole.

The incident in Memphis back on Jan. 7 drew national attention. A traffic stop ended with five officers striking Nichols, using a taser and pepper spray.

Nichols died days later.

Statesboro police chief Mike Broadhead joined others in publicly condemning the officers’ actions.

I think I shared the same revulsion that everybody had. That wasn’t policing. That was criminal behavior under the color of authority, Statesboro Police Chief Mike Broadhead said.

He says many “use of force” cases can be debated whether they’re justified or not. This one, and the death of George Floyd go beyond what is justified. He believes most Americans support responsible, law-abiding officers and may feel conflicted in the face of something like this tragedy.

“I just want to reassure them that you can support police and not support that kind of behavior, because that’s not policing not proper policing.”

He says cases like this one test the trust and partnership between law officers and the people they should protect.

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