San Ramon Police Condemn Tyre Nichols Death, Host Open House

SAN RAMON, CA — San Ramon Police Chief Denton Carlson and President of the San Ramon Police Officers Association Sergeant Mark Holland issued a lengthy letter to the community expressing contempt for the “reprehensible and unjust” death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

Nichols was killed Jan. 7 in Memphis after officers pulled him over for alleged reckless driving. Body cam footage shows officers pulling him from his car, and using pepper spray and a taser on him. Nichols fled, but then officers beat him for about three minutes with a baton. No video shows him striking back. The officers were fired Jan. 20 and arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, assault and misconduct.

Carlson and Holland joined police departments all over the country, including in Pleasanton and Dublin, in issuing public condemnations of the killing. They also referred to it as “unfathomable,” “disgusting,” “unjust,” and “criminal,” in addition to other strong adjectives.

They also claimed that the San Ramon Police Department is on the “cutting edge” of a workplace culture that prevents police abuse, which includes responsible supervision, enhancing officer wellness, and fostering a mentality “that does not value enforcement above all else.”

Carlson and Holland pledged to “continue to advance and dedicate our service to every member of the San Ramon Community with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.”

The community is invited to join the department at an open house Wednesday that will further detail the department’s philosophy and what it calls a “service-based” approach to policing. The open house will take place Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the San Ramon Police Department on 2401 Crow Canyon Road.