Cal Thomas: Capitalizing on crime

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday, February 2nd. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Last Friday, authorities in Memphis released video footage of five police officers arresting Tyre Nichols. The police officers can be seen beating and kicking a subdued Nichols, who later died of his injuries.

BROWN: Here’s Commentator Cal Thomas on the inhumanity of these police officers and the political response by some to capitalize on their crime.

CAL THOMAS, COMMENTATOR: No adjective is sufficient to describe the reaction one gets from watching five Memphis police officers beat 29-year-old Tyre Nichols to within an inch of his life. He later died of his injuries in a local hospital.

Inhumane and senseless are as close as it comes. Nichols was accused of “reckless driving,” an insufficient charge to cause such a violent reaction by the five cops. In fact, the 67-minute video shows Nichols posed no threat and tried to calm the officers, who were quickly dismissed from the force and their special Scorpion crime-fighting unit disbanded. In the gut-wrenching video we hear Nichols calling out for his mother. All five officers in the video have been charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression, and one count of aggravated assault.

Unfortunately, there are people who use such incidents for political purposes. One example came from CNN commentator Van Jones, who said even though the five officers were black (as was Nichols), the beating could still have been driven by racism. His argument was that even black police officers “internalize” stereotypes about other black people.

Some leftist groups immediately called for protests, which quickly broke out in some major cities. Protesters threw fireworks at a Los Angeles police cruiser and a squad car was smashed in New York. Protesters also turned out in Memphis, Portland, and Seattle.

Several things must be said about this in addition to condemning the cruelty of the beating Nichols sustained. In response to Jones’ suggestion of racism, black people are the majority in Memphis, over 64 percent, according to the latest Census. A majority of the city council are black, as is the police chief. This should quiet claims of racism and the projection of this sin on other police officers who serve with honor, sometimes risking their lives.

A question I have asked on several occasions when demonstrators became rioters: who are these people? Are they all locals? If not, where did they come from? What organization is paying them? Who printed and paid for some of their signs?

During past protests there have been reports of trucks showing up with pre-printed signs. There is a website that offers protesters for virtually any cause in exchange for payment. It’s called “Crowds on Demand.” Reporters should ask the above questions and investigate who is behind some of these demonstrations, who underwrites the costs, and whether any protesters are being paid?

These questions do not diminish the seriousness of what happened in Memphis, or the culpability of the fired police officers to ask these questions. From what the video shows there was no justification for what happened to Tyre Nichols. Neither is there any justification for violent behavior in reaction to it, which changes and improves nothing. The justice system will proceed, and the five men will pay a stiff price if found guilty. Unfortunately, Tyre Nichols has paid the ultimate price. No amount of justice for those now ex-cops will restore his young life.

I’m Cal Thomas.

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