Lack of training in law enforcement is not the culprit

The recent beating of Mr. Nichols by the Memphis Police Department is another violent tragedy dealt to the American people. It is bad enough for us to hear about all the mass shootings, the domestic violence that ends in death, parents killing their children, children killing their parents, etc. This is too much violence for our society to endure, yet it continues to happen.

The recent beating of Mr. Nichols by the Memphis Police Department should not be attributed to the officers’ lack of training. I am sure they were trained properly by the department, and they have a free will to do what’s right if their heart is in the right place. We have to remember officers are made of the same thing we are made of and there is always a choice. If they are having personal problems and don’t have the ability to put that on the back shelf of their mind and get professional help, there will be more and more incidents like the Memphis beating.

If they were to poll the officers that beat Mr. Nichols, I believe some form of violence has occurred in their life, possibly as a child which followed them into adulthood. If you look at the video it appeared to me they were personally taking their frustrations out on Mr. Nichols. All of the officers were in rage and they were displaying bully characteristics. — Larcenia Taylor, Bakersfield