• Impact of recent incident

On January 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee five Memphis Police officers beat 29-year-old, Tyre Nichols after he was detained during a traffic stop. A few days later, Tyre Nichols died in the hospital as a result of the injuries he sustained at the hands of the officers involved in this incident. Our deepest condolences go out to Nichols’ family and friends.

The five officers have been charged with several criminal offences including second-degree murder. They have been fired. The conduct of the officers is heinous, and the video of the incident is graphic.

The actions of these few do not represent our profession and our members, however, given the violence and extreme use of force displayed by these five officers, we know destructive impacts will be felt in Canada and potentially throughout our communities. We know this incident may also have a negative effect on the public/police relationship, however, we pledge to continue our efforts in building positive relationships with our communities.

The Ontario Senior Officers’ Police Association and its members are outraged. The anger felt by Mr. Nichols’ family, by the black community and by racialized people everywhere is warranted. We continue to offer our support and understanding to those individuals and groups touched by this, as well as those in our communities and our organizations who have been affected.

Within our profession we are proud to be respectful and inclusive, and we are determined to foster meaningful connections with the diverse communities that we serve.  In the face of adversity, we will remain professional and protect our collective communities with dignity and competence.  We are committed to putting in the work.

Dan Despatie

President