BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Tyre Nichols' name tops a list containing many names. Names like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Eric Garner. Nichols' death is not the first time local residents have watched a video like that. The death of Tyre Nichols is just the latest in a long history of controversy surrounding police use-of-force policies around the country.
"It could be me," said community resident Edward Robinson. "It could've been me. It could have been me."
Robinson says that's what he first thought when he unexpectedly saw the video of Tyre Nichols' death while scrolling on Instagram just after the Memphis Police Department released the body camera footage.
"I didn't think that I was actually going to see the full beating, but I saw it, and I will say that I had a feeling similar to whenever I watch a movie about slavery," said Robinson. "On one end, I'm enriched and I feel like, 'No, this needs to be shown.' On the other end, I kinda become enraged. I become upset at what I'm seeing, and at the core, what I'm learning in the social work practice… that's trauma."
This isn't the fist time the public has seen footage of the deadly use force against Black people. In California, Black people are overrepresented in police use-of-force incidents.
The state's Public Policy Institute says police force against Black people accounts for nearly 20 percent of serious injuries and fatalities despite only making up less than 6 percent of the population.
Robinson says in each case, he immediately thinks of the families.
"This person is somebody's son. This is somebody's grandson. You know, I just go right there, and I think of how tremendous a loss would be in my family," said Robinson.
Robinson says he revisits the conversations with his brothers and colleages to make sure they're okay, but that check-in always ends with what needs to happen next so they don't have to see another video like this again.
As part of his mental health routine, Robinson works out and verbalizes his feelings on camera to take care of himself. Licensed clinical social worker Lauren Dean says self-care is an important investment for people of color. According to Dean, Black and Brown people must prioritize their mental health, especially after incidents like these.
"It impacts us because we can see ourselves, right? We can see our family. We can see our history," said Dean, adding that watching these videos can lead some to question their safety, resulting in a physical release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. If that stress chemistry goes unchecked for long enough, it can lead to anxiety and depression.
Dean recommends people who start feeling like they've seen too much engage in activities that can increase the production of brain endorphins, such as walking, journaling, and reading. She also says if people are feeling stuck in that distress, to reach out for help from a mental health professional.
"So walking, journaling, reading, getting in touch with nature, seeking professional help. I think being an African American woman, and in our community there's so much stigma around seeking professional help, and I would just voice and I would be a big advocate in seeking professional help," said Dean. "Seeking professional help is self-care. Seeking professional help is self-love."
Dean notes that many people of color may feel an intense connection to the victims in videos of police brutality. This experience is referred to as the "linked fate" phenomenon.
"In some instances, I can see how one can see it as modern day lynching. Easily. Back during slavery times, there were pictures taken of slaves hanging from a tree. There were articles written about slave masters who lynched husbands, wives," said Dean. "We've seen it, and now we're just seeing it live and on tv."
Dean says if the videos encourage you to participate in peaceful protest, then they can be productive, but she says if they produce feelings of aggression toward law enforcement, viewers should watch with discretion.
Robinson says he has thought about the ethical and social implications of making these videos available to the public.
"I think from an ethical standpoint, producers of such things, media, right? Media outlets have to consider harm reduction, and is it ethical or unethical to be showing such graphic content where anyone can see it," said Robinson. He mentions several steps media and social outlets can take to keep people from being exposed against their will, such as broadcasting content warnings and making it so videos like that don't autoplay on social media platforms.
23ABC's parent company, Scripps, is one of the media outlets Robinson says need to weigh this question carefully. Scripps Vice President of News Sean McLaughlin, says members of the media need to balance our duty to the greater good against our duty to hold power accountable.
"One one hand, you have the role we play in holding the powerful accountable, and that includes law enforcement, and us having access to that video and being able to show the public and let them see with their own eyes how something played out is an important part of that. On the other hand, you do have to be… there are sensitivities. We knew before that video came out it was going to be disturbing. It was going to be graphic," said McLaughlin. "We know that it's emotionally challenging."
McLaughlin says Scripps issues ethics guidelines and recommendations to their stations, but they ultimately allow each station to determine what is best for their individual local news communities. He says stations can issue trigger warnings and cut around the most graphic parts of the video to protect viewers while making sure officers are still held accountable.
"Imagine if none of these videos from any of these police violence cases that have been so high-profile over the past several years had been shown," said McLaughlin. "Part of bringing an issue to light is sometimes showing things that are hard to see."
McLaughlin says discussions with diverse viewpoints in the newsroom and transparency with the public help our viewers understand why certain decisions are made regarding what gets covered and how.
"There are children watching the news, and that's a very serious and delicate balance that we play. I think journalists need to be people first," said McLaughlin.
Patrick Jackson, president of the NAACP Bakersfield Chapter says he saw the video, also unexpectedly, as he prepared to speak about Tyre Nichols at a press conference two weeks ago. He says although he was shocked by the video, he thinks it's necessary to bring change.
"It's almost like a catch-22. You think that we shouldn't see it because it's so heart wrenching, but it's also necessary for us to be able to see the chance, and even go back to Dr. King on Bloody Sunday. It was televised that people got killed marching over the bridge, and so when you see those things happening, people start to move in a different way," said Jackson. "It's not reality if you don't see it."
Jackson says these instances of violence against people of color have happened for years, but now the videos provide evidence of the injustices. He says that the publication of the videos, with the family's approval and consent, pushes the pursuit of justice forward and protects the reputation of the victims.
"I take it back to the mother of Emmett Till, taking that position of showing of what these men did to her son and showing the world, how it captivated us as a people to want to have change happen," said Jackson. "And I see a lot of times 'out of sight, out of mind,' and so with these recent incidents, it shows that it's happening on a regular occurrence, so what are we going to do about it?"
Jackson says holding law enforcement officers accountable and enacting legislation like the George Floyd Act will help bring justice to those affected.
Robinson, while he thinks the public needs to see the videos, doesn't agree that legislation alone is the key to fixing everything.
"I don't think that any single piece of legislation is going to solve it. I think this is a cultural issue. We've got to change the culture. We got to have these advisory committees. We've got to make ethical considerations and stronger, deliberate efforts to reduce harm," said Robinson.
