MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friday afternoon, ABC News reports President Joe Biden spoke with Tyre Nichol's parents RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, to directly express his and Dr. Biden's condolences for their son's death. During the conversation, the President commended the family's courage and strength.
Thursday, Biden shared his remarks on the death of Nichols at the hands of five Memphis Police officers during a Jan. 7 traffic stop.
The President is calling for peaceful protest in the wake of Tyre's death, joining his family in doing so.
You can read the President's full statement below:
Jill and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Tyre Nichols and the entire Memphis community. Tyre’s family deserves a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his death.
As Americans grieve, the Department of Justice conducts its investigation, and state authorities continue their work, I join Tyre’s family in calling for peaceful protest. Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable. Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice.
Public trust is the foundation of public safety and there are still too many places in America today where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken. Tyre’s death is a painful reminder that we must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment, and dignity for all.
We also cannot ignore the fact that fatal encounters with law enforcement have disparately impacted Black and Brown people.
To deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect.
That is why I called on Congress to send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to my desk. When they didn’t, I signed an executive order that included stricter use of force standards and accountability provisions for federal law enforcement, as well as measures to strengthen accountability at the state and local level.
Today, we all must re-commit ourselves to the critical work that must be done to advance meaningful reforms.
