The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement after five officers with the Memphis Police Department were arrested and charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in Memphis:
Read the full statement below:
“As law enforcement leaders serving the communities in and around Kalamazoo County, we are repulsed by the horrendous assault of Tyre Nichols by the now charged former members of the Memphis Police Department. It is unconscionable to all our members that these officers, sworn to serve and protect their community, could have such a disregard for another human being.
The brutality suffered by Mr. Nichols and the failure of officers to intervene is sickening and leaves everyone, including police officers, disgusted, and outraged. As fellow human beings who have chosen to serve our community as law enforcement officers, we offer our sincere condolences to Mr. Nichols’ family, his friends, colleagues, and community.
We support the quick actions taken by Chief Davis as she rightly fired and criminally charged these officers for the death of Tyre Nichols. There is no excuse for their actions. They have betrayed their oath of office, disgraced the law enforcement profession, and brought a cloud over the officers across the nation who work selflessly each day to protect their communities.
As police leaders here in Kalamazoo County we remain committed to emphasizing dignity and respect for all and instilling within our agencies a fundamental commitment to the preservation of human life. Events like this one in Memphis are used as reminders to our officers of the importance of proper de-escalation techniques and the duty of all officers to intervene to stop improper actions.
Each of us is committed to the continual assessment and improvement of our practices and policies to ensure transparent, safe, and accountable delivery of law enforcement services to our community. Having open communication and true partnerships with our community is critical to keeping Kalamazoo County and its surroundings safe. We must remain committed to working together in partnership with our community members, advocacy organizations, elected officials, and others to build a future that ensures dignity, respect, and justice for all.
We are all in this together.
The statement was signed by:
- Sheriff Richard Fuller – Kalamazoo County
- Chief David Boysen – Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Director
- Nicholas Armold – Portage Department of Public Safety Chief
- Bryan Ergang – Kalamazoo Township Police Department
- Chief Scott Merlo – Western Michigan University Public Safety
- F/Lt. Scott Ernstes – Michigan State Police – Paw Paw
