The death of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police is once again putting a national focus on the use of deadly force by officers and the legal and ethical challenges facing first responders, and that is affecting college students who are learning to be first responders.
It is also affecting first responders on campus.
David Felix is one of the nine sworn officers on the Southwestern College police force based in Chula Vista. He has also served in the Los Angeles police department.
Every day, he is armed with a department-issued AR-15 rifle secured in his squad car. He also carries a Taser, a baton, and a Glock-22 pistol.
But Felix said his most effective tool is communication.
“I get out, I say 'hi' to people, and approach a couple of students if they have questions. They do have questions, ranging from, 'How do I become a police officer?' to (a question like), 'I got involved in this situation. How can I help myself from getting into further trouble?'”
That kind of trust and communication was hard to come by in the wake of incident after incident of police brutality across the nation, starting with the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
“I have two sons, both in high school," said Marco Bareño, Chief Safety Officer at Southwestern College. "They were ashamed to say their father was a police officer at the time, and not ashamed because they are proud of me and what I do. It’s just from what was happening.”
That's when the college's police force decided to ask for help to change the public’s perception and earn trust.
In 2021, they partnered with the Urban League of San Diego County, which has organized focus groups between students, staff, police and other community members who want solutions.
“Every law enforcement officer across the country is now under a microscope. 'Are you like Memphis or part of Memphis? Or Minneapolis with George Floyd? Do you have murderers on your payroll?' These are questions that have to be asked," said Al Abdallah, President and CEO of the local Urban League.
The partnership of college police and the Urban League continues to grow. Focus groups include many of the 18,000 students and 2,000 staff members on the Chula Vista main campus along with Southwestern College’s learning locations in San Diego, San Ysidro, National City and Coronado.
Beyond the community policing partnership, the Southwestern Otay Mesa campus has a robust curriculum for students in the police academy and other first responder programs.
Classes for emergency medical technicians and paramedics include an in-depth study of current events in real time — lessons that go beyond textbooks.
That has only inspired paramedic student Slater Lee of Carlsbad even more. He said he has seen the video of Memphis police beating of Nichols and is aware they were fired along with some EMTs.
“It's horrible that it ever happened, but to be someone that could potentially respond and make a difference in a positive light for someone in any of those horrible situations would be motivating," Lee said.
Talia Raz is also studying to be a paramedic. She is committed to protecting her mental health when responding to critical calls involving patients who are in the worst-case scenarios.
Raz said, “I think it’s about understanding, what just happened and emotionally processing it. That way you’re not left with traumatic thoughts and then you’re able to move on from it."
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The ongoing case in the police beating death of Tyre Nichols once again focuses on the use of deadly force by officers. Now, police at one South Bay college are working to create a community for change. -
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