Central Coast law enforcement speaks on Tyre Nichols assault video

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV)- Several leaders with law enforcement across the Central Coast reacted to the released police video of the beating that resulted in the death of a Memphis, Tennessee father.

Five Memphis Police Officers assaulted Tyre Nichols in early January, severely enough to cause his death days later. Law enforcement from the Central Coast and officers from all across the country echoed the same message about the actions of those officers.

This is not what good law enforcement officers do. The Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said before the video was released, You're going to see acts that defy humanity. You're going to see a disregard for life," Davis said. "Duty of care that we're all sworn to. And a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement."

Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges had this to say:

Tyre, I have never met you and now I never will. I never wanted to be a cop. I saw first hand as an at-risk kid how some police officers abuse their power and betray public trust. What happened to you is a reminder of why I became a cop and later promoted to change the culture of policing in my community.

I wish I was in Memphis with you that night. I wish a Seaside cop was on scene. I would’ve stopped them. We would’ve stopped it.

I promise your death will not be in vain. We will honor your life to ensure police are better. We will continue to police with love and train to have self control. We will train to be effective and reasonable in our tactics. We will have the courage to intervene if any cop doesn’t follow the law and I promise I’ll hold anyone to account if they don’t.

I wish this never happened. That cannot be changed, but your legacy will change policing for the better. You will save lives and expose corrupt cops all over the country.

Thank you, Tyre. Rest well. We will take it from here….

“I am absolutely disgusted by the actions of the five Memphis Police Officers, and I am heartbroken for the family and friends of Tyre Nichols," said San Benito County Sheriff, Eric Taylor. "I am praying for his loved ones and the community of Memphis.”

I am saddened, frustrated and horrified by the murder of Tyre Nichols. The actions we have witnessed by the five Memphis Police Officers are disturbing and have no place in policing.

As peace officers, we take an oath to protect and serve and in order for policing to maintain its legitimacy these types of incidents must stop now. The five officers have been arrested and their actions will be judged in court, but the impact of this murder will be felt by communities across the country.

To the friends and family of Mr. Nichols—and the people of Memphis—I offer my deepest sympathies. To our community — we will continue to train and work with our community partners, organizations, and others to give our county the quality policing it deserves.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart

The Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association said the following:

Today, the Monterey County Chief Law Enforcement Officers Association released a statement regarding the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee.

We have all recently become aware of the events related to the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers in Memphis, Tennessee. We expect that sometime today the Memphis Police Department will release video of the incident that has been described by Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis as, “heinous, reckless and inhumane.” Chief Davis relates further that, “I expect you to feel outrage in the disregard of basic human rights as our police officers have taken an oath to do the opposite of what transpired on the video.”

As the Chief Law Enforcement Leaders of Monterey County, we express our deepest condolences to the Nichols family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Nichols’ family, his friends, colleagues, and community. We also acknowledge the pain this event causes for all communities as the actions of these police officers reflects on all police officers and rightly causes question and concern about law enforcement conduct everywhere.

Any wrongful death at the hands of police officers is appalling and indefensible. Any police brutality or the failure of police officers to intervene leaves everyone, including police officers, disgusted and outraged.

The ex-police officers involved have been criminally charged and fired. The alleged actions of those ex-officers are antithetical to the values and expectations of all who serve in our organizations. Actions such as these, disgrace the law enforcement profession and bring shame on the officers across the nation who work selflessly each day to protect their communities.

As police leaders we ensure that those who serve our communities in law enforcement put the sanctity of human life, and ensuring constitutional protections for all, as the foundation for every action they take. This includes a deep commitment to serving with honor, dignity, fairness and respect for all.

We remain committed to working together in partnership with community members, advocacy organizations, elected officials and others to ensure our organizations are meeting the expectations our communities demand.

As the law enforcement leaders of our communities, we also want to acknowledge the women and men of our organizations who have made a decision to serve with the highest ethics and honor their oath.

Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Monterey County District Attorney's Office, Monterey Police Department, Carmel By The Sea Police Officers Association, Del Rey Oaks Police Department, Gonzales Police Department, Sand City Police Dept, Seaside Fire & Police, Salinas Police Department, Greenfield Police Department, Marina Police Department, Soledad Police Department, King City Police Department and Monterey County Probation Department