The police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis has outraged the whole country. On January 7, 2023, Nichols was assaulted by police after a confrontation during a traffic stop. Three days later, the 29-year-old died in the hospital. The five officers of the Memphis Police Department were fired and charged with second-degree murder. As the police body camera and surveillance footage showing five Black officers beating Nichols was leaked, protests started on January 27.

The shocking and brutal incident has grabbed the headlines ever since. A few days back, the NBA world mourned the death of the young man. Now, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has given his thoughts about the loss of Nichols.

Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the brutal killing 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did not want to go into detail about the killing of Tyre Nichols as new information is coming out every day. However, he wanted everyone to know that Nichols was “unarmed and compliant”. While talking about it, he stated that he does not dispute that lethal force is necessary at times. However, he is not happy about the mentality of many institutions in the country.

He wrote on his website, “But there is an us-vs-them mentality in America—and therefore in many of its institutions (i.e. military, police, and judicial) that allows injustice to flourish. The demand for loyalty regardless of right and wrong, or even legal and illegal, causes us to hide our shameful acts behind the bluster of patriotism.”

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Before giving his take, Abdul-Jabbar presented some statistics about police killings in the country. He noted that at least 1,176 people were killed by law enforcement in 2022. He added that last year was the deadliest year on record for police violence since 2013.

The six-time NBA champion was presenting data analysis according to a report from Mapping Police Violence. He added that is a shocking average of more than three people a day or nearly 100 people a month.

NBA world mourned the death as the investigation continues

As the investigation of the killing of Tyre Nichols continues, Memphis Police Department fired a sixth police officer recently. According to reports, a seventh officer is on leave and under investigation as well.

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Amidst all this, the NBA world mourned the death of Tyre Nichols. Stars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Ja Morant, and so forth talked about the shocking incident and offered their condolences. Former Memphis Grizzlies star Mike Conley shared his frustration about the killing and called for justice. Many former players also shared their disappointment about the brutal incident and sympathised with Nichols’ family.

On the other hand, protests around the country still continue demanding justice for Nichols and his family. Protests and rallies are being held in over 12 cities across the country.