||| FROM SHERIFF ERIC PETER |||
[On January 7, 2022], the Memphis Police Department released the video footage showing the horrific and disgusting acts of violence committed by five officers involved in this tragedy. The San Juan County Sheriffs Office is deeply saddened by the senseless death of Tyre Nichols and extremely angered by the actions of these five officers.
We are glad to see that these five officers were fired by the Memphis Police Department, arrested, booked into jail, and charged with murder. The actions of these officers do not represent the values and of community to the policing in San Juan County.
All humans deserve the right to be treated with equity, dignity, and compassion, and to be free of being mistreated or murdered by law enforcement who are sworn to protect the sanctity of life.
San Juan San Juan County Sheriff’s is committed to serving our community by protecting the lives, rights, and property of all people through crime prevention and enforcement of the law with equity and dignity for all. Our sincerest condolences go to Tyre Nicholas, his family and friends, and every member of our communities affected by this senseless act of violence.
Thank you for your reassuring message. I wish all police departments believed as you do.
According to this BBC article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56834733
Police officers in the US average 600 hours training and are required to have a GED or HS diploma. (Compare this to Finland with 5000+ hours training and a university degree) Police killings are more than 3 times higher in the US than in Canada, a country with a far higher percentage of immigrants and plenty of guns. Coincidence is not causality, but it seems obvious that the US needs to train our police officers more thoroughly.
How much training does the SJC Sheriff’s dept require for our deputies? I’ve had a deputy stand on my porch after beating on my door in the middle of the night to tell me that he was going to shoot my dog the next time the dog barked at some idiot running down the road in the middle of the night. The dog was just doing his job. The deputy was not; he was threatening me. That is precisely the kind of stupid move that good training can prevent.