Statement Of Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj on the Killing of Tyre Nichols:
"I am devastated that once again we find ourselves in a vortex of heartbreak. I extend my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Tyre Nichols. I will keep Tyre and his family in my heart and prayers for the days, months and years to come because their pain will never go away.
The violent criminal behavior by the five Memphis police officers is inexplicable and unwarranted. Neither Tyre Nichols nor anyone deserves to die at the hands of police for an alleged traffic violation. These five Memphis police officers chose to become the judge, jury and executioners on January 7, 2023. And now they will face the consequences of their actions.
I am committed to doing all that is within my power, as a Commonwealth’s Attorney, and as a human being to find solutions to ending such violence.
When I first came into office, I was presented with a case where the police stopped a black man in Leesburg for speeding. They used force to remove him from his car to unlawfully search it. Upon finding nothing illegal, they filed unsupported charges against him to deflect their wrongdoing. I refused to allow this injustice to continue, and I dismissed the charges.
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.' As my record shows, when it is a choice between bad police officers and good police officers and our community, I will always fight alongside our good officers and our community."
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