US DOJ to review Memphis police following Tyre Nichols' killing

The US Justice Department is set to review the Memphis Police Department following the killing of Tyre Nichols in January. The DOJ’s Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services will be participating in the review.

Memphis’ Democratic Mayor Jim Strickland announced in a bulletin that the Justice Department’s Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services would be taking part in a review of the Memphis Police Department. Aside from the DOJ, the International Association of Chiefs of Police will also be doing an “independent, external review,” requested by the city’s officials to review the department’s special units and use-of-force policies.

The review follows the death of Nichols, a Black man beaten to death by police officers, most of which were also Black. Five of the police officers were since fired and charged with second-degree murder. A sixth police officer involved in Nichols’ death, who is white, was fired on Friday last week.

Nichols died from his injuries three days after the incident in Memphis. Nichols’ death has also fueled a long-running debate in the country about race and police brutality.

Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather Rodney Wells are set to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris attended Nichols’ funeral last week along with relatives of other Black people who were killed by police officers in the country.

Democratic Senator Cory Booker said on Sunday he believes a policing reform bill could pass the current Congress but noted that the efforts to pass the legislation may be challenging due to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

“I’m sobered about the belief that we can get a big comprehensive bill done. But can we get something done? I believe we can,” said Booker on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I’m putting all my effort into that right now.”

Booker also said he met with GOP Senator Lindsey Graham over the issue of qualified immunity. Graham has said that even as he believes qualified immunity should protect individual officers, police departments should not receive such protection. Booker also noted that any legislation that passes the Democrat-controlled Senate would still have to pass the House.