Saskatoon Police Chief Troy Cooper says he has reached out to the local Black community leaders to offer support and discuss a tragedy that occurred in the U.S. but will impact the trust and confidence in policing.

Five police officers who have been fired were charged with second degree murder and other offences in connection to the killing of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. The young Black man died three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee.

The five police officers are themselves Black and the District Attorney says a video of the January 7 traffic stop will be released to the public sometime Friday.

Chief Cooper says, “It is important that our Service continues to work on building trust and that we listen to the needs of the community we serve. Our efforts to enhance de-escalation and unconscious bias training are first steps, and the community-led redesign of our advisory committee on diversity to include Black voices will continue.”

The Chief says he and the staff at the Saskatoon Police Service, together, condemn this unnecessary and tragic loss of life.