The officers responsible for this horrific senseless murder must be held fully accountable under law. If we are to say that Black lives matter, if we are to mean it, then it begins with the hard and painful work of recognizing how many black lives we have lost to police violence and brutality. Because the murder of Black brothers and sisters is something we must address. “This brutal murder of Tyre Nichols illustrates how we come together over and over again,” Krishnan said. Councilman Shekar Krishnan speaks at the vigil. He brought up the fact that many people who knew Nichols have since come out to talk about what a caring person he was. To see that brutality for no reason, it breaks my heart because he did not deserve it.”Ĭouncilman Shekar Krishnan talked about how the death of Nichols weighed on the community’s collective conscience. We grieve as mothers that understand every day when we go out every day, we have to worry. “You always worry every day what’s going to happen to your child. “As the mother of a son, seeing the video and hearing cry for his mother as she was only a few feet away, that broke my heart,” one community member said. When will this stop? We keep on saying enough is enough but it still continues.” (Photo by Paul Frangipane) “This is another shameful moment in America for America,” Queens Civic Congress Executive Vice President Ashook Ramsaran said. Leaders of faith in attendance led those at the vigil in prayer for Nichols’ family during such a difficult time. “Everyone here is trying to make a little bit of a difference by being here, holding on to one another, recognizing the work that still needs to be done, by joining together in prayers for the Nichols family and all of the Tyre Nichols we don’t know about.”Īmong those who spoke at the vigil in addition to Richards were local officials, community leaders and members of the community. “I entered public service to try and make a little bit of a difference,” Councilman James Gennaro said.

Councilman James Gennaro speaks during the vigil. He also called upon governors across the nation to put an end to qualified immunity for officers. The proposed act would increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct restrict the use of certain policing practices enhance transparency and data collection and establish better practices and training requirements. Richards called upon Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act as a way of taking action in order to prevent something like this from happening again.

Fatal Games by Bruce Richards