Who is Cerelyn Davis? Memphis police chief 'horrified and disgusted' by Tyre Nichols' traffic stop video
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis stated that she was left "horrified" after watching the traffic stop video of Tyre Nichols that eventually led to his death on January 10. Adding that the footage made her feel "disgusted," "sad" and "confused," Davis said, "In my 36 years, I would have to say I don't think I've ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad and, to some degree, confused."
Three days after a confrontation with cops of the Memphis Police Department during a traffic stop, Nichols, 29, died in a hospital where he was given care. The video of the fatal beating includes the city's surveillance camera footage and visuals from the body camera worn by the former officers. The video is expected to be released on Friday, January 27. "As we continue to try to build trust with our community, this is a very, very heavy cross to bear -- not just for our department but for departments across the country," Davis said during an interview on 'Good Morning America'. "Building trust is a day-by-day interaction between every traffic stop, every encounter with the community. We all have to be responsible for that and it's going to be difficult in the days to come," she added.
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Who is Cerelyn Davis?
Cerelyn "CJ" Davis, is currently the 13th Chief of Police for the Memphis Police Department. Born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, she is married to Terry Davis and has one child. Davis did her studies at various universities including Saint Leo University, Central Michigan University, and Northcentral University.
She previously served as the 33rd Chief of Police of Durham, North Carolina from June 2016 to June 2021 after she served as Atlanta Deputy Chief of Police from February 2014 to June 2016. She is also the first woman to lead the Memphis Police Department.
Davis says Nichols' video is worse than Rodney Kings'
Referring to the traffic stop video of Nichols which will soon be released to the public, Davis stated that the footage is worse than the notorious Rodney King video of the 1991 beating. During the interview with ABC's 'Good Morning Show', she said that there was no proper reason for the traffic stop and believes that the officers were in a state of "groupthink" as they approached Nichols and confronted him.
“I was in law enforcement during the Rodney King incident and it’s very much aligned with that type of behavior … sort of groupthink. I would say it’s about the same if not worse,” she said.
The death of Nichols has sparked outrage in the city. Five Memphis police officers were fired after the fatal beating of Nichols who was charged with murder and were taken into custody. Following the incident, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith were fired from duty. On Friday morning, January 27, four of the five officers were released on a combined bond of $1 million while former officer Haley remains in prison with a $350, 000 bond, according to Daily Mail.