SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Local former police officers say what happened to Tyre Nichols was unjustified and inhumane after watching the released bodycam footage of Memphis police officers beating him following a traffic stop.
In four different clips, officers are seen spraying Nichols with what appears to be pepper spray, beating him with a baton and kicking him in the head.
"Looking at the video [at] face value, I just can't see anything that excused what took place and the behavior and the actions of those officers against that victim," Kevin LaChapelle said.
"It was a very chaotic, very emotionally charged situation from the officers," Paul Parker said.
Both men compared the incident to the 1991 beating of Rodney King.
"I was a police officer when the Rodney King incident happened and I didn't think I'd see anything that would be parallel to that. If not parallel... this was horrific," Parker said.
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"It was, what I say, more of ego and ganging up on a man that was just horrifically beaten," LaChapelle said.
Parker, who's now the Executive Officer of the San Diego County Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, says he was surprised none of the officers stepped in to stop the beating.
"I know the sheriff's department here has a 'duty to intercede' policy that if anybody sees a co-worker acting in that fashion, they intercede. You would think a supervisor would have been there to get things under control," Parker said.
The men say the incident is yet another stain on law enforcement and another reason for the community to distrust police.
"We should be learning, we should be moving forward, we should not be revisiting this kind of behavior," LaChapelle said.
"There are officers out there that want to do the right thing, that do the right thing every day... obviously, some officers haven't learned," Parker said.
Parker and LaChapelle also commended the Memphis Police Chief for releasing the video quickly and being transparent with the community.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department sent ABC 10News this statement Friday hours after the video was released.
"The Sheriff's Department sends its sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Tyre Nichols. We condemn the actions of officers who act willfully and criminally in the performance of their duties. The amount of force, and lack of intervention by the officers is deeply troubling, upsetting, and unprofessional. The decision of the District Attorney to file criminal charges against the involved former officers and the actions of the Memphis Police Chief were swift and appropriate. We must now let the criminal justice system run its course.
While the actions of the former officers in this case are to be condemned, the hard work of the men and women of law enforcement at large in this country should be supported as they go about the business of protecting our communities every day. We are proud of the hard work and commitment of our deputies to our communities in San Diego County.
We support the public's rights to free speech and assembly. We encourage the peaceful gathering of our communities who want their voices heard and we will protect and respect your rights while we maintain peace in our communities."
Mayor Todd Gloria and Police Chief David Nisleit released the following statement on the killing of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers:
“The City of San Diego shares in the grief and outrage felt across the country stemming from the brutal murder of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee. We join his family in their mourning and their demand for full justice and accountability for the former police officers who committed this atrocious crime.
We – inclusive of our entire San Diego Police Department – condemn this betrayal of the badge and the public trust, and we support the firing and prosecution of the officers involved.
What happened in Memphis will never be tolerated in San Diego. Our Police Department and its officers will continue to treat everyone with dignity and respect while keeping our communities safe.
While the feelings of anger and outrage are understandable in this moment, we urge San Diegans to promote peace during this time. This is not a time for chaos, destruction, or more violence – but rather is a call for us to unite, comfort all those who need it and recommit ourselves to ensuring a fair and impartial criminal justice system.”
