Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan has been slammed for arguing that there’s no legislation that could have prevented the beating by police officers that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, 29, in Memphis, Tennessee.
The chair of the House Judiciary Committee said on NBC’s Meet The Press that he was unsure that “any law, any training, any reform” could have prevented the assault that took place during a traffic stop.
Bodycam footage has been released showing the fatal beating of Mr Nichols, which has prompted new calls for police reform.
Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin told ABC’s This Week that the death of Mr Nichols was a “call to all of us” to work to reform the police.
Mr Jordan said the footage was “difficult to watch” and what he saw showed a “lack of respect for human life”.
“I don’t know that there’s any law that can stop that evil that we saw,” he said.
Five Memphis Police Department officers involved in the traffic stop on 7 January have been fired and charged with second-degree murder. Two other officers involved have been disciplined, and three EMTs have been dismissed.
They “did not have any respect for life,” Mr Jordan said.
The Ohio Republican was asked if there are any federal legislation that he could get behind.
He said lawmakers should look into measures “to help this, to make sure they have the proper training. But no amount of training’s going to change what we saw in that video”.
He argued that efforts should instead remain on the state and local levels. Mr Jordan was asked if police reform should be on the agenda for the House Judiciary Committee. He said that the death of Mr Nichols was “certainly” an instance of the “weaponization of government and abuse of the state and authority against the people that they’re actually supposed to serve”.
“But we got a number of things we are going to look at in the Judiciary committee and select committee as well,” he noted regarding the recently started subcommittee looking at what Republicans claim is the “weaponization” of the federal government.
“Seeing something, not knowing how to help, and deciding to try nothing is just as bad as seeing something you know how to stop and doing nothing,” one Twitter user said in response to Mr Jordan’s lack of will to act.
“It’s so much easier to shrug and deny any ability to do something than it is to try. Pretty lazy if you ask me,” another added.
“Standard response… do they won’t try. ‘Leave it to the states’ except when they disagree with states tightening gun laws,” a third said.
“He hopes evil is unstoppable because he’s avoiding the consequences,” another user said.
“There is no silver bullet remedy that cures all ailments, but to not do anything based on that reasoning, well that just shows what a quitter you are,” one Twitter user added.
“So why have any laws then, right @Jim_Jordan? I mean it’s against the law to rob a bank, murder, evade taxes, kidnap, engage in paedophilia, trespass into another’s home, attempt an insurrection against the United States of America, but laws don’t stop those things. Right?” one person asked.
