This story was updated on May 27, 2025, with the correct spelling of Tyré Nichols name.
The recent criminal trial surrounding the tragic killing of Tyré Nichols has reaffirmed a distressing truth: Black lives continue to be treated with contempt in a society that prioritizes everything over our humanity. The mixed verdict serves as a glaring reminder of the deep flaws within our criminal legal system and raises serious questions about the potential for meaningful reform.
While the three former officers who took their cases to trial were convicted of witness tampering for trying to cover up the brutal beating of Nichols, they avoided accountability for the most serious charges. Both Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were acquitted of civil rights violations for excessive force, while Demetrius Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols’ civil rights resulting in death. Haley was instead convicted of the lesser charge of causing bodily injury.
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The refusal to hold these men accountable for the part they played in Nichols’ death calls into question the standards applied to those sworn to protect us. Nichols was a father, son, citizen and friend — his death impacted his entire community. We cannot accept a system that treats fatal encounters with such indifference.
The outcome compels us to confront the limitations of reforming a system that often fails to protect those it should safeguard. As we await the results of the Department of Justice’s investigation, we must grapple with the reality that what happened to Nichols exposes a broader infection within American policing: a widespread and toxic workplace culture, not a few bad apples. The concept of a “run tax,” in which people who dare to run from the police receive swift, violent retribution, did not originate with the Memphis Police Department, after all. When a system has been designed to uphold anti-Blackness from the ground up, how can reform change it?
A tapestry of exploitative systems
Our anti-Black policing and criminal legal systems are largely preying on people who have already been exploited by our country’s extreme economic inequality. A local survey of over 180 individuals who committed violent crimes showed that a lack of equitable educational and employment opportunities often fuels their actions. Cornelius Smith, who took the stand and testified to his involvement in the murder of Young Dolph, said he was motivated by the promise of $10,000. “I’m not gonna lie. I was trying to get some money,” he said. His desperate financial circumstances motivated his choices — while Smith is unquestionably responsible for his choices, his circumstances weren’t solely the result of individual shortcomings.
Yet, where is the accountability for the systems that create the poverty that incentivizes this violence? We are eager to hold individuals accountable; where is the enthusiasm to scrutinize the systems that create desperation and offer few better alternatives? In the aftermath of these trials, we must demand answers to these questions.
What we can do now
While reforming these systems will not fix them, there are legislative changes that can save lives now. I challenge policymakers to confront the interconnected issues of gun violence and police brutality, both inextricably linked through anti-Blackness and inadequate public policy.
Lawmakers must implement sensible gun control measures while enacting police reforms that address systemic racism and normalize the idea that the police can exact revenge against suspects that inconvenience them. We need policies that actually protect our communities and create environments where individuals feel they have legitimate, nonviolent means to provide for themselves and their families. We need reforms that address the root causes of violence and poverty, from police reform to economic empowerment initiatives that create viable opportunities for the Black community.
As we press for larger societal change, we must fight for justice for the deceased and advocate for systemic transformation that uplifts our children and communities. It is time to answer the call for change and justice that transcends the courtroom, prompting society to reassess how we value and protect Black lives.
Let us march forward, united in purpose, grounded in compassion, and relentless in our pursuit of justice.
The Rev. Earle J. Fisher, Ph.D., is the senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church and founder of UpTheVote901.
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