As law enforcement in South Florida prepared for possible demonstrations following the release of videos showing the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols, a retired assistant police chief said the officers' actions went "way overboard."
Four different videos showed the officers pulling Nichols out of his car, pepper spraying, kicking and hitting him with both fists and batons. Police edited portions of each video.
Craig McQueen, a retired assistant chief of the Miami Police Department with 35 years of experience, reacted to the videos.
"It was uncalled for,” McQueen said. "Once that subject is handcuffed, that fight is over."
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Tyre Nichols
McQueen pointed out several issues after watching the videos. He said officers forgot about their techniques, let their emotions get in the way, and most importantly, forgot they were dealing with a human being.
"This went way overboard,” McQueen said. “It's no longer, 'you ran from me and I’m upset, and now we have to treat him a lesson' — no, you still treat him as a human."
McQueen said another concern he had is he didn't see or hear anyone identify as a supervisor and believed if there was a supervisor, this could've ended differently.
"Here's another opportunity for departments to go over with the men and women, making sure, where are those pressure points? How do we grab a subject?” McQueen said. "To all my law enforcement officers out there, remember do it right every time for the right reasons, and this won’t happen to you."
Miami, Miami-Dade and Fort Lauderdale police each released statements Friday afternoon ahead of the videos being released in anticipation of possible protests.
Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales expressed his condolences to Nichols' family in a statement after the videos were released. He added the officers, now charged, "betrayed their oath."
"The Miami Police Department will protect the right of all those that wish to peacefully demonstrate to ensure the safety of everyone within our community," Morales said in part.
The department said in an earlier released statement that they're prepared for a possible protest or demonstration.
Miami-Dade Police said its officers "will remain hyper-vigilant and aware of their surroundings. We have all our resources readily available in the event of any mobilization," adding, "The safety of all our residents is our primary concern.”
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said it was monitoring the situation in Memphis.
"We are in communication with our law enforcement partners and the safety of our residents and visitors will continue to be our top priority," a spokesperson said.
