Governor activates National Guard in wake of protests

Sanders readies troops along Arkansas border due to unrest over police slaying

By Ralph Hardin

ralphhardin@gmail.com

Arkansas’s new governor is taking action to keep civil unrest on the other side of the Mississippi River from spilling over into the state.

Protests have been taken plasce over the past several days here in the Mid-South and around the nation in response to graphic videos showing Tyre Nichols' brutal beating by Memphis police.

At 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders announced her activation of the Arkansas National Guard in response to protests in the West Memphis area.

Sanders said that the Guardsmen would serve as reinforcements to area police and help keep roads open and safe.

“We are praying for Tyre Nichols’s family and all of Memphis,” said Sanders in anncouncing the move.

“May God bring peace, healing and justice.'

Video of Tyre Nichols's fatal beating at the hands of several Memphis police officers was released on Friday and immediately sparked outrage.

'Out of an abundance of caution, I authorized the Arkansas National Guard to serve as reinforcements to law enforcement in West Memphis and aid with keeping major highways operational and safe,' Sanders said.

The announcement came on the heels of the Arkansas Department of Transportation's announcement Saturday afternoon that the Arkansas Highway Patrol would be closing the eastbound lanes of the I-40 Mississippi River bridge due to concerns about protests in Memphis. Some news outlets reported that the closure would take place Sunday, but no protests were organized yesterday along the busy highway.

West Memphis Chielf of Police Robbin Campbell Jr. relased a statement on Sunday regarding the tragedy on behalf of the WMPD and the City of West Memphis.

“Like everyone else in the Mid-South, we are outraged at the actions of the Memphis police officers who betrayed your trust and tarnished the reputation of every law enforcement officer in this country,” said Campbell. “On behalf of the men and women of the City of West Memphis and the West Memphis Police Department, we would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Nichols family and our friends and neighbors in Memphis, Tennessee, as they, and our nation, mourn this tragic and senseless death.”

Campbell praised the quickness in the decision to formally charge the officers involved in the slaying.

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File photo/PMG

CAMPBELL

SANDERS GUARD

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“We commend the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department for taking swift action to bring these former officers to justice,” he said.

The chief also denounced the officers’ behavior and pledged the WMPD would not foster or tolerates such action from its officers.

“Mayor Marco McClendon and I assure you that our officers at the West Memphis Police Department have the necessary training, professionalism, and integrity to protect our community, along with a commitment to the ethical treatment of everyone they encounter,” said Campbell. “The West Memphis Police Department is proud of the support we have seen from our community and strives every day to continue building the trust, transparency, partnerships, and community engagement our residents expect and deserve.”

MPD footage