Police Killings Have Been A Consistent Part Of American History. But Now They’re Caught On Video.

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This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.

The country is now experiencing another wave of outcry and protest in response to the brutal murder of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, by five Memphis police officers. The cops were quickly fired and charged with second-degree murder. The unusually swift action by the police chief and grand jury was facilitated by video footage that clearly showed the cops’ brutal beating of Nichols after they stopped him on suspicion of reckless driving on Jan. 7. He was sent to the hospital in critical condition and died three days later.

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1446900
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#2

We need some accountability in this country. The people responsible for these murders are receiving their paychecks from our tax dollars.

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#3

No fan of false dichotomies but increasingly It seems there must either be a way to dramatically professionalize police forces or a way to do without police as currently structured altogether.

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#4

Thank you for this thorough review of the roots and origins of truly abhorrent philosophies and the actions of those who hold them.

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#5

Police killings and brutality haven’t decline because cops and cop culture are almost completely divorced from mainstream reality and operate under a siege mentality 24/7. It’s us vs. them at all times, even when off the job (and there really is no off the job as the anger, hypervigilance and paranoia are always with them, probably why cops have such high divorce and suicide rates). They don’t see what we’re seeing. Oh, they know we’re unhappy with them. But they see it as further validation that they’re under attack. They’re incorrigible that way, and not that different from the repeat criminals they go after. It’s not just the nature of the job that does this to them. Most cops spend most days doing relatively mundane and not very dangerous work. It’s the culture, passed on from generation to generation and inculcated in new recruits and rookies. It’s basically a cult that way. A cult of violence and domination that sees outsiders as the enemy. So of course they’re not going to change, unless made to. But how to do that? It’s not so much that they’re trained and armed. That’s not the problem. It’s that police reform invariably makes Repubs accuses Dems of being soft on crime and turns it into a powerful political weapon that works which operates much the same as when Repubs call for reforming Social Security and Medicare. The only way to do it is under the radar, and that’s hard.

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One thing that got made clear yesterday- Republicans don’t give a shit about this problem. Republicans killed the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee. Republicans don’t care about such things. Rep Crockett-

“Systemic policing and extremist violence are killing people, devastating our communities, and breaking the hearts of families we took an oath to defend and protect at all costs.”

On Tuesday, Crockett introduced an amendment that would reinstate the subcommittee.

“Especially in a time like this – when across the nation, from small towns to big cities, Americans are crying out against the horrible injustice that was perpetrated against Tyre Nichols and so many others every single day, it is undeniable that the civil rights of the American people are under threat and this committee must do something about it,” Crockett said on Tuesday.

Of course, Empty G responded by muttering that Tyre Nichols was killed by Black Cops so race could not be an issue. Then she talked loudly about Ashli Babbit and the imjustice done to her and other J6 Insurrectionists. Then she voted to kill the subcommittee that addressed the very Civil Liberties that she claimed were violated. Republicans do not care about anyone’s Civil Liberties.

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#7

The difference is not hard to understand. Until the advent of the cell phone with video capability Cops lied and walked away from unjustified killing. There has been a change in Cop mentality, lurch to the intolerant macho right but I’ll bet that won’t account for the difference n prosecutions we see today from let’s say 1975. Cops were getting away with it then. They were not held accountable. They can’t do that now.

Cops haven’t changed. The arena they perform in has.

#8

Wow. Spot on. can’t agree more.

I’ve actually have had cops tell me as much.

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#9

I don’t even need them to tell it to me. They ooze it and I can easily sense it in them. Cops don’t talk TO people, they talk AT them, looking down at them. Even when off the job. It’s a defense mechanism that reveals their insecurities and power trips.

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#10

The police and their apologists have learned nothing from George Floyd.

They must be reformed.

No longer should the police force be a magnet for goons.

#11

I don’t know what the solution is, regulatory, cultural, or otherwise. I’ve gotten a similar vibe from military folks, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, doctors, farmers, CEOs, politicians…and anyone else who feels like their particular career, skillset, or “hard work and sacrifice” is THE thing standing in the breach between a functioning society and chaos for all us helpless idiots. “Without us, the rest of you would be fucked” seems to be a pretty common notion. The thing that sets law enforcement apart is that applying violence to citizens is a major part of the job description, so that attitude immediately takes a more threatening tone.

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#12

“…These videotaped incidents are now part of the political terrain, making it harder for police to hide abusive behavior …”

I’ve been saying that for years now.

Not every person will adopt the contemporary. big-city police culture. Those are the people who quit. I’ve known several. Ironically, those people who quit have the personality types that should be the model for police behavior. There are selection methods that will greatly reduce the number of bad cops, but they can be expensive.

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#13

There are reasons people like that quit. You can also look at how policing is done and what behaviors are rewarded. Departmental structures need to be revamped as well.

#14

Second-raters hide behind their power and position, and most people are second-raters. Not much to do about the attitude but we do need to find better ways of keeping them from abusing their power. Like, sure, tell yourself whatever you like about how important and better you are if your fragile ego demands it, just DO NOT cross these lines.

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