COLUMBUS, Ind. – Both Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Chris Lane and Columbus Police Department Chief Michael Richardson reacted this weekend to the release of the video showing the five Memphis Police Department officers attacking motorist Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop.
“As a citizen and a father, I am angry at what I saw on the video in the Memphis beating of Tyre Nichols,” Sheriff Lane stated. “This was a despicable act toward another human being. As a police officer, I am infuriated. This act tarnishes the badge of all who wear it and we can and must do better. It’s not enough to have policies, training, and protocols. We need to have kindness and empathy in our hearts. We have much more to do and I am fiercely committed.”
“It is disheartening to see the unacceptable abuse of power that is demonstrated in the video released on Friday. Watching it, I find myself bewildered at how this behavior could have occurred and continued as more police arrived. It was a failure every step of the way,” Chief Richardson said. It is our duty to protect and serve every individual who lives in our communities, a duty we take seriously in Columbus. I assure you that our officers are committed to building strong relationships with the community and maintaining the trust you put in us every day by being as transparent as possible.”
