Van Jones: Cops charged for Tyre Nichols' death are black but 'might have been driven by racism'

Friday evening the Memphis police released several different videos showing the pursuit and beating of Tyre Nichols, who died from his injuries three days later:

Police officers can then be heard telling the victim to get on the ground. Nichols said over and over “Alright, alright, I’m on the ground” and “You don’t need to do that.”

The victim can be heard pleading with the officers to stop, in which the cops tell Nichols to turn around “before I break your s—-.”

Another officer says “I’ll knock your a— the f—- out.” Nichols responds with, “You guys are doing a lot right now.”

Nichols then breaks free and attempts to run after he was heard saying “I’m just trying to go home.”

An officer deployed his Taser as Nichols was trying to run.

The video was split into four separate videos taken from either bodycam footage or surveillance cameras on street poles.

Meanwhile, a CNN contributor offered up what many might consider a predictable spin on the already horrible and tragic situation:

How is this not satire? pic.twitter.com/wir0lvbjb2

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 27, 2023

I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s 100% real. Here’s the article:https://t.co/faerxzDq4C

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 27, 2023

Van Jones wrote that and the story appears on CNN’s website:

When it comes to police violence, race matters— but not in the way you might think. #TyreNichols #Memphis #JusticeForTyre https://t.co/oK2atDutg4

— Van Jones (@VanJones68) January 27, 2023

One of the sad facts about anti-Black racism is that Black people ourselves are not immune to its pernicious effects. Society’s message that Black people are inferior, unworthy and dangerous is pervasive. Over many decades, numerous experiments have shown that these ideas can infiltrate Black minds as well as White. Self-hatred is a real thing.

That’s why a Black store owner might regard customers of his same race with suspicion, while treating his White patrons with deference. Black people can harbor anti-Black sentiments and can act on those feelings in harmful ways.

Black cops are often socialized in police departments that view certain neighborhoods as war zones. In those departments, few officers get disciplined for dishing out “street justice” in certain precincts — often populated by Black, brown or low-income people — where there is a tacit understanding that the “rulebook” simply doesn’t apply.

Well, there it is.

"Do some mostly peaceful protesting" –@CNN pic.twitter.com/m7FgxoFpS1

— Natalie F Danelishen (@Chesschick01) January 28, 2023

🤡🌎 pic.twitter.com/BoS3npQPio

— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) January 28, 2023

I did a presentation on critical race theory today at a Christian school today.

Someone asked me how critical race theorists would react to black cops beating Tyre Nichols (a black man) to death.

This Van Jones article is almost word-for-word what I said in my answer. pic.twitter.com/785QvByPZm

— Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) January 28, 2023

At the end of the day there is, apparently, nothing that can’t be spun as another example of racism.