'I personally am affected by that': Nova Scotians express outrage over death of Tyre Nichols
Horror, outrage, and pain are just a few words Robert Wright uses to describe his feelings after watching Tyre Nichols pinned and assaulted by officers in Memphis.
“It’s as if my brother was beaten, my cousin was beaten, my son was beaten when I see that. So yes, I personally am affected by that,” said Wright, who is the executive director of African Nova Scotian Justice Institute.
It's an incident viewed around the world.
Memphis police pulled over the 29-year-old during a traffic stop for alleged reckless driving.
As the video continued, it shows officers pulling Nichols from his car. They then used pepper spray, a taser, a baton, and their fists to beat him for three minutes.
The footage reveals him screaming for his mother.
Nichols later died at the hospital.
Nova Scotia is home to North Preston, the largest Black community in Canada.
While the incident occurred in Memphis, Wright said the incident mirrors distrust between the local Black community and police here.
“The street check issue is not fully resolved here. The dramatic over representation of Black people in those statistics suggests that there has been an overtly racist policing of Black people,” he said.
All five officers involved were also Black, which is something experts say reflects a larger issue within the system.
“You have these five police men walking into this racialized institution and this institution is saying that Black persons is inferior and you can do anything with them as you wish, so then they are still using that same racist narrative," said Assistant Professor at Carleton University Evelyn Namakula-Mayanja.
“Whether white or Black, it is the same. It is an institution that does not train people to respect the humanity of the other. In Canada you will find that it’s being taken away from Black and Indigenous people.”
Police in other provinces have spoken out condemning the actions that led to Nichols’ death, and Wright said he wants Halifax police to do the same.
As of Sunday, Halifax police hadn’t commented on the matter, but Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella released the following statement on Monday:
“The details and video of the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols of Memphis and his subsequent death are 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.
“These actions are not a reflection of, nor do they define the service 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.
“We support and commend the swift efforts of the Memphis Police Department to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyre’s family - we send them our condolences. We extend our deepest support to our fellow community members. We stand with you through this difficult time.”
Correction
This is a corrected article. A previous version incorrectly stated that four officers were involved, instead of five.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.