In the US, when a black man dies at the hands of white police, it’s easy to talk about racism and police brutality, but when the officers responsible for the attacks are also black, the debate gets complicated. “It’s getting harder to swallow. Because they’re black and they know what we’ve been through,” said RowVaughn Wells, quoted by The Washington Post. The death of his son, Tire Nichols, has reignited the debate about systemic racism in US law enforcement. The funeral is today, with the eulogy of famed activist Al Sharpton.
Nichols, 29, was pulled over by Memphis police after an alleged traffic violation (driving on the wrong side of the road). The officers insisted that he get out of the car and lay down on the floor, he lay on his side and said he just wanted to go home. When the officers used pepper spray, he got up in confusion and ran away, firing a taser (which doesn’t seem to hit him). When he was apprehended again, he was kicked to the ground and punched, including in the face, while screaming for his mother. He would die in hospital three days later, on January 10.
Source: DN
