Stephen King makes his position clear on police and gun reforms in wake of Tyre Nichols’ protests

Stephen King has wasted little time collecting his thoughts on the latest protests to sweep through the United States, with the famed author making his position clear.

Following the murder of Tyre Nichols by five policemen in Memphis, Tennessee, there has been widespread protests yet again surrounding police brutality. Nichols was killed after he was pull over for alleged reckless driving, with the five cops leaving him with fatal injuries that he died from three days later in hospital.

The protests across the United States have again surrounded the need to reform both the police and gun control laws, although Nichols sustained the fatal injuries from a taser, batons, kicks, and punches by the officers. Guns, somewhat surprisingly, were not involved.

King tweeted out his support for reforms to the police, but believes gun reform would be much more vital. Whether or not this take is the best one in light of police beating an unarmed man again is up to reader’s discretion. Police reforms have somewhat slowly seeped in following nearly a decade of widely publicized murders of Black people in particular.

Some would argue King has shifted gears too much from the original case, especially with guns not being involved with this case. In the replies, many have argued even gun reforms wouldn’t apply to the police. Police reforms in the eyes of many protestors involves police not having guns on them at all times.

The Nichols case also presents a different case than usual for a lot of police brutality cases: it was five Black police officers. Analysts have seen this as further proof of power’s corruptibility in anyone, as well as an overwhelming sense the police might not be allies to civilians.

The five policemen were fired and charged with murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, misconduct, and oppression.