'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
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.