(Washington D.C.) – The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) is heartbroken by the tragic and brutal death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Nichols and the entire Memphis community as they search for peace and justice for the senseless loss of this young, Black man.

“In this nation, a routine traffic stop should not be a death sentence, but tragically that was the case for Tyre Nichols. As a black man and a mayor, my heart aches for the Memphis community as they seek healing, answers, and accountability from those charged to protect not harm them,” said AAMA President and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “We are heartened by the swift termination and arrest of the officers involved, but that’s not enough. We join with the family of Mr. Nichols and the people of Memphis in calling for a transparent and just investigation to ease their understandable pain and restore public trust.”

With the public release of footage showing the violent beating of Tyre Nichols, AAMA continues to push for meaningful reforms to prevent police brutality by any officer and rebuild faith in those called to serve our communities. Further, we call for peaceful protests as we continue to work towards what Dr. King called the moral arc of justice.