Dallas protest calls for more accountability, transparency from police

DALLAS (CBSDFW.com) -- They came with signs bearing the image of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin and calling for justice for Tyre Nichols.

Dallas residents gathered at Belo Garden in Downtown Dallas on Saturday to demand accountability and transparency from police, and mourn the loss of Nichols.  

The recently released video of the January 7 traffic stop in which five former Memphis police officers relentlessly beat the 29-year-old Nichols, was still fresh on the minds of rally organizers. 

 "The footage, for those of us that were able to stomach it, there's a lot there," said one speaker.  "Had the street camera's footage not been released what would the story have said?"

Rally organizers called for community control of police.

"What we really have to do is to change the power dynamic between the police and the communities that they're policing," the speaker said.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia released his own message to Dallas residents after the video was made public on Friday night. 

"Watching the video along with the rest of the world I am ashamed and angered by the actions of the officers that day," Garcia said .

"The despicable actions of these few former officers do not represent the thousands of honorable police officers across this country and they certainly don't represent the honorable brave men and women of the Dallas Police Department."

And while protests in Dallas since the release of the video have been peaceful, the Garcia reminded residents that lawlessness will not be tolerated.

"We will ensure anyone who chooses to peacefully hold vigils remembrances continue to do so safely and securely in our city and respect everyone's constitutional right but we will not condone lawlessness in our city we will not tolerate any actions that threaten lives or harm people or property," Garcia said.

Garcia also promising to work to make sure what happened in Memphis never happens again.

"As your chief you have my promise that when we are right as a department I will stand by my men and women but when we're wrong we'll hold ourselves accountable to the fullest extent of the law," he said.