Regina police chief weighs in on Tyre Nichols’ death in Memphis

Regina Police Service Chief Evan Bray shared some heartfelt words Thursday while discussing the death of Tyre Nichols.

Bray has felt compelled to offer similar thoughts before.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after a confrontation with five Black police officers during a traffic stop Jan. 7 in Memphis.

In a two-minute video posted to Twitter, Bray said it was a “senseless, tragic and unnecessary” incident.

“Those Memphis Police Department officers were dismissed from their jobs last week and just today (were) charged with second-degree murder,” Bray said. “But we know that this doesn’t solve the heartache, the anger, the frustration and the cries for justice that will continue, and rightfully so.”

Bray said he has reached out to leaders of the Black community in Regina to express his sympathy for what they might see in the coming days in Memphis and beyond.

On Friday, video of the traffic stop involving Nichols is to be released to the public. Nichols’ family and their lawyers say the footage shows officers beating Nichols for three minutes.

“Our police service, while sickened by what is unfolding, is even more steadfast in our determination to work with community, to build meaningful relationships and, as importantly, (to) commit to transparency, accountability and oversight,” Bray said.

“We know that with good relationships and with a commitment that shows the community they can trust our police service, it allows us to do the job that we continue to be trusted with in our community and provide that valuable service in keeping all citizens of our city safe.”

Regina police chief Evan Bray kneels for 30 seconds with the other officers who attended a Black Lives Matter rally to show their commitment to ending racism. Jun. 5, 2020 (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Bray had a similar reaction to events in the United States more than two years ago. In June of 2020, he spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building shortly after the death of George Floyd.

Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers prompted calls to defund police forces, including the one in Regina.

“I feel the need to say that I’m sorry, because I am sorry that that happened,” Bray told those at the Black Lives Matter rally. “That tragic, senseless killing happened.

“And it’s a very tough position that I find myself in and I think police officers do, because I’m very proud of the job that we do and the important role we play in the community, but I’m not proud of the events that I see unfolding, not just in the United States, but in Canada.”

After that rally, Bray said that was a tough conversation to have as a police service, but that can make for meaningful change and police need to be prepared to embrace that.

“It’s not about being defensive (and) it’s not about being frustrated as a police service,” he said at the time. “It’s about understanding that there are challenges in this community, some of which the police are directly involved in.”

— With files from The Canadian Press