BLACKSBURG, Va. – The videos showing police fatally beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols are catching the eyes of people all across the nation.
Virginia Tech professor, Brandy Faulkner, watched the videos in full after they were released.
“It’s heartbreaking. My heart goes out to the man’s family. My heart goes out to the young man,” Faulkner said.
[MORE: Memphis authorities release video in Tyre Nichols’ death]
Faulkner has spoken out and done interviews following videos surfacing of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery being killed. She said it never gets easier seeing someone’s life taken away.
“Each and every time … I still feel it. I still feel it, it does not make it any easier just because you become used to seeing this type of state violence,” Faulkner said.
Faulkner believes there is a true systematic issue when it comes to policing. She never wants to see someone else killed for even the smallest of crimes.
“No one should feel losing their life because of a broken taillight, or expired tags, or running a stop sign or any other traffic offense … it just shouldn’t happen. What we saw in this video was inexcusable,” Faulkner said.
The video release prompted responses from several others, including the President and the Vice President. Read their statements here.