Tonight, the world has seen the horrific circumstances that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Memphis man, while being apprehended by police officers in Tennessee. These types of tragedies draw national attention and great concern for the behaviors of police officers in communities throughout our nation.

As we have done in the past, the Newberry Township Police Department believes that it is appropriate to address these concerns when tragedies such as the death of Mr. Nichols occur. It is the stance of the Newberry Township Police Department that the way Mr. Nichols was treated by the law enforcement officers in this incident was not only unacceptable, it was egregiously wrong.  The video footage of this incident is not only difficult for the public to watch, but for officers all over the county as well.  

We assure you that this sort of behavior is not an accurate representative of the 800,000 police officers who serve our communities selfishly every single day. No one can be more disappointed in these officers’ actions than those who share the same profession that these individuals have now tarnished and disgraced.

Our department has been and will continue to be committed to training our officers in the importance of de-escalation, proper police tactics and the importance of protecting and valuing human life. We understand that our community expects the best from our public servants, and we are committed to supplying the level of service you deserve.

On behalf of the entire Newberry Township Police Department, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Mr. Nichols, the Memphis Police Department and communities around the country who were affected by this tragic and unacceptable event.