LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Lima Chapter of the NAACP continues their call to equip law enforcement with body cameras in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis at the alleged hands of five police officers.
They say the officers' body cameras, and another camera in the area told a different story than what the officers said following the incident. All five Memphis officers were fired and are facing second-degree murder charges. A sixth person has been suspended but is cooperating with the investigation. President Ron Fails says because of the body cameras there is more information about this incident, he says unlike the investigation last summer when Allen County Deputy Izak Ackerman fatally shot Quincy Pritchett. The investigation says that Ackerman was justified in returning fire at Pritchett who fired a shot at him after running during a traffic stop.
“I am not suggesting that the BCI investigation was incomplete. I am saying that it was no doubt complete based upon the information they had to work with,” says Ron Fails, Pres. Lima Chapter of the NAACP. “But remember you have one living officer at that scene. The man that was shot was dead. Only one person could speak. And that's the reason why we need to equip our officers with the proper technology, so there is accountability both for them and the community.”
Fails says he has been in contact with the Governor Mike DeWine’s office to see if there would be a way to require law enforcement agencies to use body cameras.
“They are in an agreement. So, I really believe that we will get the assistance that we need, so that we can address this issue that has gone on way too long within our local sheriff’s department,” adds Fails.
The Lima Chapter of the NAACP also is voicing their support of the national George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which limits the unnecessary use of force by law enforcement and restricts the use of no-knock warrants, chokeholds, among other law enforcement reforms.
