News
"We pray for the Nichols family as they lay their loved one to rest today, and as they determine ways to honor Tyre’s legacy going forward,” reads the message. “We join in solidarity with faith leaders in Memphis and surrounding areas who are providing moral and spiritual leadership to communities mourning this tragedy.”
The statement applauds the swift action of Memphis and Shelby County authorities to terminate and criminally charge those involved in this tragedy. “We will continue to monitor this investigation and connect with Memphis area faith leaders to ensure all parties are held accountable, and that the family and community have the resources they need to heal from such a heartrending and unnecessary incident,” reads the text. “We decry yet another act of police violence against an unarmed and nonviolent citizen.”
Videos of the incident, the message adds, revealed “an abhorrent disregard for human life” that we collectively must ensure never happens again.
“Yet, we recognize that this kind of violence continues to permeate our nation's culture,” reads the statement. “We must intensify our efforts to end policing that intimidates and traumatizes communities of color rather than protecting and serving them.”
The message urged that a traffic violation not be a death sentence.
“While we affirm and support the many law enforcement officers who take seriously their oath to serve our communities daily, we cannot ignore the prevalence of excessive force used by police officers against Black and Brown people,” the statement reads.
