'Deeply disturbing': Halifax police chief speaks out on beating death of Black man by U.S. officers
Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella is among several Canadian police chiefs to speak out against the beating death of a Black man by several police officers in Memphis, Tenn., earlier this month.
Video of the Jan. 7 incident, which started as a traffic stop, was released to the public on Friday.
The footage shows five officers holding 29-year-old Tyre Nichols down and striking him repeatedly as he screamed for his mother.
After the beating, officers milled about for several minutes while Nichols lay propped up against a car, then slumped onto the street.
Nichols died three days after the confrontation. The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes.
Kinsella issued a statement in an email Monday morning, calling Nichols' beating and death “deeply disturbing.”
“On behalf of Halifax Regional Police, I condemn the actions of the officers who committed these heinous acts, and those who stood by and watched. It is heartbreaking to know that officers who took an oath to serve and protect inflicted such horrendous pain and injuries on that young man, a beloved son and a father.”
The statement went on, with Kinsella saying the actions of the Memphis police officers are not a reflection of “hundreds of thousands of police officers.”
“But we know that the actions of those officers will impact the trust and confidence in the entire profession,” he said.
“We support and commend the swift efforts of the Memphis Police Department to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.”
Police chiefs in Toronto, Ottawa, Windsor, Regina, Edmonton, have also released similar statements of condemnation.
The Memphis police officers each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Four of the five officers had posted bond and been released from custody by Friday morning, according to court and jail records.
Two fire department workers were also removed from duty over Nichols’ arrest.
Second-degree murder is punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison under Tennessee law.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
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