Tyre Nichols’s death brings fresh calls for police reform

Video of the fatal beating of the 29-year-old by police officers was released by the city of Memphis on Friday night (AP)

- GRAEME MASSIE

The police killing of Tyre Nichols has prompted renewed calls for law enforcement reform, as protestors continue to hit the streets over the 29-year-old’s death.

Talks between lawmakers stalled after a bill was passed by the House of Representatives in June 2021 in the wake of another police killing, of George Floyd, in Minneapolis. It included a ban on chokeholds and a national registry of police abuses. Now,

lawmakers and advocates are calling for a renewed effort to pass the legislation.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, chair of the judiciary committee, said yesterday that both parties should sit down again, quickly, to see if we can revive that effort. But that in and of itself is not enough.” The Congressional Black Caucus has similarly requested a meeting with President Biden to discuss justice reform, including the conduct of law enforcement.

“We are calling on our colleagues in the House and Senate to jumpstart negotiations now and work with us to address the public health epidemic of police violence that disproportionately affects many of our communities,” Rep Steven Horsford, chairman of the caucus, said in a statement. Mr Biden already called on Congress to pass the reform bill. Today, we all must re-commit ourselves to the critical work that must be done to advance meaningful reforms,” he said in a statement on Friday.