Out of the five officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols, NBC News reports that two had been members of the force for two years, and none of them had more than six years on the job. Demetrius Haley joined the department in August 2020. A former corrections officer, Haley was accused in a 2016 lawsuit of being one of two officers who beat an inmate unconscious. The suit was dismissed in 2018 after a court found that the inmate had not properly served one of the officers involved with a summons. Tadarrius Bean also became a member of the force in August 2020. His previous experience included working for AT&T and a job in fast food. Bean studied criminal justice and law at the University of Mississippi from 2016 through 2020. He also interned with the campus police. His name appeared on the 2020 commencement describing him as earning a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
This is significant since according to a report by Action News 5 in Memphis, in 2018, the Memphis Police Department announced changes to its recruiting standards. Originally, those who wanted to become peace officers needed to pass a battery of tests and background checks, meet physical fitness requirements, and complete training at the local police academy. They must have also reached the age of 21, possessed a valid driver’s license, and had two years of cumulative active military experience with an honorable discharge. Finally, they needed to have an associate’s degree or have completed 54 semester hours of college.
Now, with regard to secondary education, recruits need to have five years of “full-time responsible and verifiable employment” and have a high school diploma. A recruit must complete an associate degree within four years of being hired. By 2021, in the wake of the social unrest following the George Floyd incident, the Memphis Police Department was hurting for recruits. In February of 2022, the state legislature had a bill before it to remove the requirement that officers live in Memphis. They would only need to live in Shelby County. The department also offered a “$15,000 sign-on bonus, $10,000 in relocation assistance, and a starting salary of $45,623.” The New York Post notes that not only was the timed physical fitness requirement waived, but felony convictions could be ignored.
Related: Tyre Nichols Killing Forces Black Activists to Change the Narrative on Police Racism
The Post talked with Mike Alcazar, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a retired NYPD detective:
“They’re desperate. They want police officers,” Alcazar said. “They’re going through it, they check off some boxes, saying, ‘Ok, they’re good enough, get them on.’ Police departments have to take the screening process of candidates to be police officers seriously and not rush to hire officers that might not be qualified.”
In addition, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in 2008 Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis was fired from the police department in Atlanta. During her time there, Davis helmed the Atlanta Police Department’s internal affairs division. Davis was accused by two detectives of telling them not to investigate Terrill Marion “T.C.” Crane. Crane was the husband of a police sergeant, Tonya Crane, and the police had photos of him with underage girls. Terrill Crane was later indicted by a federal grand jury for producing child pornography. Davis was first demoted from major to lieutenant for her decision and then fired. She was reinstated after challenging the decision through the city’s Civil Service Board. She retired in 2016 and became the chief of police in Durham, N.C. In April 2021, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland selected Davis for her current position and she was confirmed in May.
Despite those claiming that the death of Tyre Nichols was racially motivated, the fact is that hatred, corruption, greed, ambition, and the capacity to abuse power know no racial boundaries. A badge, gun, baton, checkbook, or legislative strength in the hands of someone who cannot resist the siren song of power are dangerous things. The five officers who beat Nichols were black. The two shooters in the recent California tragedies were Asian. Native American and African tribes had a history of displacing, enslaving, and warring against other tribes before the arrival of the Europeans. The Barbary Coast slave trade by Muslims enslaved millions, including European Christians.
This is not meant as an apology for anything done by white people but rather to echo the words of the Apostle Paul: “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The color of one’s skin has nothing to do with one’s character. There are people of all races who, when given the chance at wealth, power, or influence, can and do engage in horrible things. It is a human failing, not a racial one. And character is built, not bestowed.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member