DOVER – In response to the killing of Tyre Nichols, Delaware Legislative Black Caucus Chair Rep. Kendra Johnson, Vice-Chair Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha, and Secretary Sen. Marie Pinkney issued the following joint statement:
“When we stood on the steps of Legislative Hall in June 2020 to decry the murder of George Floyd and the multiple other Black men and women who had been killed at the hands of officers, none of us were naïve enough to think that we wouldn’t someday in the near future bear witness to another similar tragedy. But that still couldn’t prepare us for the brutal murder we saw in cold blood this evening. It was a lynching without a rope. It was sickening, disgusting and unforgiveable.
“Tyre Nichols should still be alive today. He should be able to hug his mother whose name was tattooed on his arm. Instead, we heard him calling his mother’s name on the body camera footage after he had been brutally beaten.
“Tyre’s killing at the hands of five Memphis Police officers is a reminder that no matter how many positive steps we take, there are always many more strides we must make. It’s yet another wakeup call to those who refuse to believe that there is a pervasive, systemic problem throughout the country, and until everyone recognizes it and commits to taking strong, decisive action, we will continue to eulogize Black Americans in this tragic manner.
“We must not become discouraged and give up. We passed several important reforms through our Justice for All Agenda, but there are still some unfinished proposals to complete. We must continue pushing for systemic improvements throughout our entire justice system and not rest on those past successes. By continuing to fight for change, we can hopefully reduce these tragedies and ultimately rebuild the system.
“We are praying for the family and friends of Tyre Nichols at this time and mourn his loss.”