The Virginia Joint Democratic Caucuses and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus released the following statement on the murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis Police.
Tyre Nichols was murdered by the very people who had been tasked with keeping him safe. We need accountability, but even more, we need reform and systemic change. We must commit to doing more to guarantee safety and respect for our communities. A system in which a traffic stop ends with someone murdered is a system that is deeply broken.
Tyre Nichols’ family deserves to know what happened. But more than that they deserve to know that something like this will never happen again. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We have lost fathers, mothers, children, and it’s past time that we have policy and change that guarantees safety and equality. Law enforcement should be there to protect us and no one should ever be in fear for their lives from a traffic stop.
This must end.