In a joint statement provided by Mayor Bruce Teague and Police Chief Dustin Liston, the City offers a response to the brutal death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols following the release of the Memphis Police Department’s deadly arrest video.
“As Mayor of Iowa City, I am reaching out to the Iowa City community to offer my support following the release of a horrific video issued by law enforcement earlier today, to acknowledge the despair and anger that the Black community is feeling, to denounce the acts of violence taken against Tyre Nichols, and to look for ways to process this injustice while grieving the life of another innocent Black man.
The murder of Mr. Nichols following the vicious assault by Memphis officers entrusted to serve and protect their community is impossible to understand. We stand together to offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Tyre Nichols and to work together as we all process this pain on a physical and emotional level. We understand the unease that permeates the community following an event like this, and want you to know that we will continue to listen and learn from one another, and heal and grow stronger together.”
In his statement Police Chief Liston shares that “the Iowa City Police Department joins our law enforcement partners across the country in condemning the appalling and senseless death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the Memphis Police officers involved. We stand alongside everyone who is outraged by this inexcusable act of violence. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and we are devastated to see the deadly behavior from the officers involved.
We commend the Memphis Police Department in taking swift action to address this horrific act and we offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Tyre Nichols and everyone else impacted by this tragedy.
The Iowa City Police Department understands this incident and the graphic footage released today may cause feelings of fear, anxiety, or anger. We strongly encourage those affected by this incident to reach out to the many resources in our community, including Mobile Crisis and the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.”