BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The police body camera footage of the tragic death of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Memphis man who was beaten during his arrest, was released on Fri, Jan 27. The protests that followed were, for the most part, peaceful nationwide.
Local community members discussed the fallout and what more needs to be done, including in Bakersfield.
“My first reaction was 'here we go again,'" said Michael Bowers, Vice President of Public Affairs for Centric Health. "In elementary and even in kindergarten, we all put our hands over our heart and we said the pledge of allegiance. One of the specific pieces was 'liberty and justice for all.' The word 'justice' means fairness and to see this happen again, it saddened my heart that we’re still back at this place.”
Following the Memphis Police Department’s disbanding of the Scorpion Unit, the task force at the center of Nichols' death, Bowers shared his insight about how dangerous he believes some of these units can be.
“There’s a culture that takes place and that culture in some of these units is almost a thug mentality and too vicious," he explained. "I know that it's important to make sure that you always comply, then complain but I think what people are tired of seeing is justice being served on the sidewalks.”
Bowers said that overall it is important to treat people with respect and to build a law enforcement system that is not going to weaponize itself against the community, but instead partner with the community. He added that true partnership comes with true resources, which Bowers said begins with getting involved in conversations wired around the issues of police brutality.
“I think it's a bigger conversation that needs to be had and that conversation has to be centered around 'how do we police better?' We have people who are suffering from anxiety, from mental health issues," said Bowers. "I think it's important to make sure that we train this new generation of officers to understand that the mental health peace in our community and in our country is very important. Sometimes you don’t know if a person is having a mental health breakdown.”
While many protests are going on across the United States, it is important to not only take voices to the streets but also directly to community leaders who are behind the change many are seeking, according to Bowers.
"Get involved in some of our local police discussions and try to better understand what is taking place and just be willing to hear each other," advised Bowers. "A lot of times, we spend most of our time talking at each other versus talking to each other, so I compel us to talk to each other.”
