FARGO — Body and traffic camera footage showing the final moments of Tyre Nichols' life continues to spark protests and calls for action across the country.
It even has law enforcement leaders in our area speaking out about what changes need to be made to keep something like this from happening again.
Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski points out what he calls horrendous and criminal actions seen in a video from a nearby traffic cam showing the police beating of Nichols.
"You can see this guy being held down, being kicked in the head, he's being stood up and held and being punched and hit with a baton, and at no point was anyone trying to take him into lawful custody," Zibolski described. "Above and beyond criminal, it's disgraceful and disgusting."
The video has sparked lots of conversations inside his own department, among seasoned staff and new recruits. Zibolski said preventing this starts with officers stepping in if they see fellow cops doing something wrong. He mentioned that on several occasions, without being able to name specific cases, he has already had to correct the mindset and behaviors of some of his own officers.
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"We'll be able to train them and change their mindset, or they kind of forfeit their opportunity to be a public servant," he said.
When asked, he said he does not think legislation can change the behavior of bad people, but does support the idea of grants to improve training for officers and supervisors around the country.
He believes these issues stem from department leaders who don't actively try to prevent things like this from happening.
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