FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2023
Contact
Jill Paperno
JPaperno@empirejustice.org,

(585) 295-5739

Empire Justice Center Condemns the Murder of Tyre Nichols

No one should die as a result of a traffic stop. Empire Justice Center joins with organizations and individuals across the country in condemning the killing of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers.

On January 10th, Tyre Nichols became one in a horrifically long list of young Black men, women, and children whose lives were ended in confrontations with police over traffic and other low-level stops. But we must not let the numbers numb us to his humanity.  Mr. Nichols was a photographer, a dreamer, a father, and a son. Some will try to explain or justify his death. We urge you to remember who he was. His photography website is here:  https://thiscaliforniakid2.wixsite.com/tnicholsphotography

As we mourn the loss of another young Black man in a police confrontation, we must also press for change. Empire Justice Center’s Police Reform Project takes our first step in seeking change in New York, issuing a preliminary report last week, “STOP THE STOPS – The Disparate Use and Impact of Police Pretext Stops on Individuals and Communities of Color.” We invite you view the report and join us in one of the ways listed on our webpage.

View This Statement as a PDF.

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 ABOUT EMPIRE JUSTICE CENTER

Empire Justice Center is a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy, public interest law firm focused on changing the “systems” within which poor and low-income families live. Empire Justice protects and strengthens the legal rights of people in New York State who are poor, disabled or disenfranchised through: systems change advocacy, training and support to other advocates and organizations, and high quality direct civil legal representation. Empire Justice has offices in Albany, Rochester, Yonkers, White Plains and Central Islip on Long Island. For more information, please visit empirejustice.org.