‘We Demand that Congress Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; It Is Non-Negotiable’
With Tyre Nichols's funeral, vice president and other Democrats call for reform
With the Black motorist who was beaten to death by police laid to rest Wednesday in a public, televised funeral, Vice President Kamala Harris and other top Democrats are insisting that Congress pass meaningful police reform.
Harris spoke at the funeral of Tyre Nichols, while civil rights leader and TV personality, the Rev Al Sharpton, delivered the eulogy for the father of a young child, who was pulled over January 7 for what police said was reckless driving. After attempting to flee on foot, Nichols was aggressively beaten by police, newly released police video shows. Three days later, he died in the hospital.
The officers involved in the attack were dismissed from their jobs and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and other crimes.
Graphic video of the police beating was released last week by authorities in Nashville, Tenn.
Nichols — and the five former officers charged in his killing — were all Black.
Standing by Sharpton's side Wednesday, Harris demanded reform.
“We demand that Congress pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Joe Biden will sign it,” she said, referring to reform legislation introduced after the international outrage nearly three years ago, when George Floyd of Minneapolis, Minn., was murdered by police officers. That legislation stalled due to opposition by Republicans. “And we should not delay and we will not be denied. It is non-negotiable,” the vice president added.
During his remarks, Sharpton sketched a different view of policing.
“‘Well, Reverend Al, you don’t understand, how are they going to keep crime down in the black community, and at the same time not be tough and rough?’” he asked, rhetorically. “Well, they do it the same way they do it on the white side of Memphis and they keep the crime down without being rough and tough.
“How do you have the same department that can keep crime down on one side of town without beating folks to death, but you can’t do it on the other side of town unless you feel that you can get away with it there?” he asked. “I can’t speak for everybody in Memphis, I can’t speak for everybody gathering, but for me, I believe that if that man had been white you wouldn’t have beaten him like that that night.”
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