The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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Statement from Police Chief Shatonya Johnson

Jan. 28, 2023 -Below is a statement from Oak Park Chief of Police Shatonya Johnson:

“There is no place in our world for senseless acts of violence like those that claimed the life of a young African-American man, Tyre Nichols, in Memphis, Tennessee. No life should ever be taken in this way, but especially at the hands of those who are sworn to serve and protect.

The Oak Park Police Department pledged to incorporate the NAACP’s 10 Shared Principles. The first principle states: We value the life of every person and consider life to be the highest value. The second principle guides us to: Treat everyone with dignity and respect.

As a department, we unequivocally reject racism and discrimination in all its forms. The men and women who serve OUR community as sworn officers believe in building trust and strong relationships with our citizens and endorse the values of community policing.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Mr. Nichols and to law enforcement professionals everywhere. We all will suffer after this tragedy.

Oak Park has strategically invested in its Police Officers to ensure that they have the best training and right tools to treat everyone in all cases with dignity and respect. This investment in people is about both the quality and content of training to ensure knowledge and understanding of civil rights, human rights, de-escalation, use of force, officer wellness, crisis intervention, mental health and extending compassion to those in need of immediate life-saving measures.

We continue to pledge our unwavering commitment to working every day in support of diversity, equity and inclusion. With the participation of the community, we are confident in a shared success that will allow Oak Park to grow stronger together.

Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of young Tyre Nichols, the entire Memphis community, law enforcement professionals and those who are affected by the tragic images and loss.”