BEAUFORT On an unseasonably warm late-winter day, notable for clouds of biting gnats that descended on Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, several dozen people gathered to honor Tyre Nichols and hear city officials discuss the relationship between the police and local residents.

Following the Jan. 10 beating death of Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers, Beaufort Councilman Mitch Mitchell noted that city officials had fielded questions from residents about the likelihood of a similar incident occurring here.

To address some of those questions, Mayor Stephen Murray and the council has reviewed procedures with police Chief Dale McDorman.

Several dozen people attend an event organized by the City of Beaufort to discuss the death of Tyre Nichols held in Beaufort, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Nichols was beaten to death by Memphis police officers, who now face criminal charges in the wake of the beating. Tony Kukulich/Staff

While he expressed a high level of confidence in the city's police force, Murray acknowledged the impossibility of guaranteeing Beaufort would never see a situation like the one involving Nichols.

"I'll stop just short of saying that an incident that happened in Memphis could never happen in our hometown, as the chaos and unpredictability of the world that we live in has shown me that almost anything is possible," Murray said at a Feb. 25 event.

Speaking to The Post and Courier, McDorman said law enforcement too often waits for a tragic incident before they discuss policing issues.

"We're finally realizing that you have to get in front of these things before they happen," he said.

By discussing police procedures in public, the chances of avoiding dangerous situations in the future are improved, he added.

According to reports, officers from the Memphis Police Department stopped Nichols, a29-year-old Black man, on Jan. 7 for reckless driving.

Video of the nighttime incident shows Nichols being pulled from his car as police officers shout commands. As the situation escalated, officers pepper sprayed Nichols before tasing him. Nichols then fled.

Several minutes later, police again detained Nichols. He can be heard in a video shouting for his mother, who lived a short distance from where he was being beaten.

Emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene. The New York Times reported that, after crews arrived, they waited 19 minutes to begin treatment.

Nichols died three days later.

Following the incident, five officers, all of whom are Black, were fired and now face a variety of criminal charges. Two additional Memphis police officers and three members of the Memphis Fire Department were also fired for their actions related to the incident.

Mitchell, a councilman who was shocked by the brutality of the beating that led to Nichols' death, received calls from residents who thought an event to commemorate Nichols was in order. Mitchell saw an opportunity for an open discussion of the incident in Memphis in the context of local community policing efforts.

After speaking with the mayor, city manager and other council members, Mitchell took the lead on a plan to bring elected officials, law enforcement and the public together for a difficult conversation.

"I thought it was an opportunity for ourcity to show its heart and do something to commemorate his memory, and to leverage this unfortunate experience as a relationship-building opportunity for our law enforcement in our community," Mitchell said during his opening remarks.

City of Beaufort Councilman Mitch Mitchell makes opening remarks during an event organized by the city to discuss the death of Tyre Nichols held in Beaufort, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Nichols was beaten to death by Memphis police officers, who now face criminal charges in the wake of the beating. Tony Kukulich/Staff

McDorman offered an assessment of the actions of the Memphis police related to Nichols' beating. While still waiting for the full story to come out, ... "I can tell you that I'm fairly confident that what I saw on that was a criminal act conducted by criminals," he said.

The chief added that, like Murray, he is confident his officers would not engage in the behavior witnessed in Memphis.

"There are no guarantees when you're dealing with human behavior," McDorman said. "However, I sleep very well at night, and I'm very comfortable feeling that this is not something that would happen as the Beaufort Police Department."

He credited the department's hiring, as well as the training his officers receive, as being differentiating factors.

Deputy Chief Stephenie Price of the Beaufort Police Department speaks with an attendee after an event organized by the City of Beaufort to discuss the death of Tyre Nichols held in Beaufort, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Nichols was beaten to death by Memphis police officers, who now face criminal charges in the wake of the beating. Tony Kukulich/Staff

Each Beaufort police applicant is subject to apsychological exam, polygraph test, background check and a review of the applicant's social media presence, McDorman said. Officers receive de-escalation and bias-based profiling training annually.

The department also randomly reviews video from body cameras and from inside police cars. Every incident in which an officer has to apply force greater than a voice command is documented and reviewed by multiple levels in the department's chain of command up to and including the chief.

The rigorous pre-hiring process sometimes means filling open positions takes longer, a tradeoff McDorman is willing to make. He added that he'd rather the department pass up a qualified applicant than accept someone who ultimately proves unqualified.

Attendees join hands during the closing prayer offered by Pastor Theresa Roberts after an event organized by the City of Beaufort to discuss the death of Tyre Nichols held in Beaufort, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Nichols was beaten to death by Memphis police officers, who now face criminal charges in the wake of the beating. Tony Kukulich/Staff

Mitchell said that the news of Nichols' death left him feeling like he needed to do something.

"It's good to know that other citizens were thinking similarly," he said.

See more here:
Beaufort responds to the death of Tyre Nichols. Can it happen here? - Charleston Post Courier