US president Joe Biden has called for calm following the charging of five former police officers for the murder of a black man in Memphis
US PRESIDENT JOE Biden has called for calm among protesters following the charging of five former police officers with the murder of a black man in Memphis.
The five officers, who are also black, were fired after an internal investigation found them to have deployed excessive use of force and to have failed to render aid, police said. In addition to second-degree murder charges, the officers in Memphis are also facing indictments of aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping.
“The news today from Memphis officials that these five officers are being held criminally accountable for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre,” the lawyers added.“As Americans grieve, the Department of Justice conducts its investigation, and state authorities continue their work, I join Tyre’s family in calling for peaceful protest,” the president said in a statement.
‘Sickened by what I saw’ The family’s lawyers added that the beating of Nichols “points to the desperate need for change and reform to ensure this violence stops occurring during low-threat procedures, like in this case, a traffic stop.”