By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The City of Beaufort hosted an event honoring the life of Tyre Nichols and addressing concerns public safety concerns in the community on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Downtown Beaufort.
Nichols died from injuries sustained after five police officers beat him in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 7, 2023.
The police officers involved in the event have been fired and charged with second-degree murder, among other felonies.
The event – Tyre Nichols & Our Commitment to Responsible Public Safety – featured remarks from Beaufort City Councilman Mitch Mitchell, Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray, Port Royal Mayor Joe Devito and Beaufort Police Chief Dale McDorman.
“I’ve had several community members reach out to me concerned that this could happen here,” said Mayor Murray said. “As mayor, I believe the City of Beaufort’s primary job is to ensure that everyone in our special corner of the world feels safe.”
Mayor Murray went further to discuss the sense of community that he feels exists in Beaufort and that while there are challenges, he hopes that the bonds of the community continue to shine through.
Councilman Mitchell said that his stomach was churning when he heard what had happened to Tyre Nichols and he felt that they city needed to do something to honor Nichols and to start a conversation about what happened and how we can try to prevent it from happening in Beaufort.
“It is our hope in the aftermath of Mr. Nichols’ death, that our citizens, our law enforcement officers, will have a closer, more reliable relationship,” Mitchell said.
Mayor Murray said that he believes that the vast majority of those in law enforcement are good people and want to do their job with integrity, and we should not tolerate officers who abuse their authority and badge.
“They are a stain and an embarrassment to a noble and necessary profession,” Mayor Murray said, “and they should be held accountable for their actions.”
Beaufort Police Chief Dale McDorman took to the podium to explain the efforts that the police department takes to try and ensure that this will not happen here.
“There are no guarantees when it comes to human behavior, however I sleep very well at night and I’m very comfortable in the feeling that this is not something that would happen in the Beaufort Police Department,” Chief McDorman said.
Councilman Mitchell concluded the hour-long event by saying he hopes that everyone in attendance is reassured, like he is, that the City of Beaufort and the Beaufort Police Department are doing everything that they can to ensure that this does not happen in Beaufort.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
