Media Contact

Keisha Williams, [email protected]

January 27, 2023

RALEIGH - ACLU of North Carolina shared the following statement from executive director Chantal Stevens in response to the release of video showing the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers:  

“We are devastated on behalf of Tyre Nichols and his family, and demand a thorough investigation of his death. We vehemently condemn the actions of the officers involved, and demand they be held fully accountable.  

“The sheer brutality shown in the video once again proves how little progress has been made in preventing law enforcement officers from assaulting and killing Black and brown people with the assumption of impunity. The swift termination and criminal charges filed against the officers responsible for Mr. Nichols’ death should be the rule, not the exception. While these actions are correct and welcome, they are not enough. 

“We join the Nichols family in their call for peaceful protest to demand justice for Tyre Nichols, accountability for the police officers responsible for his death, and action from lawmakers and law enforcement to enact policies that would ensure police are always held accountable for their actions in every jurisdiction throughout our country. 

Tyre Nichols should be alive today.”  

###