(APEX, N.C.) — Following the death of Tyre Nichols after his encounter with Memphis police officers, law enforcement officials across the country have been reflecting on how officers’ tactics and policies can be improved.

Apex, North Carolina, Police Chief Jason Armstrong, who took over as police chief in Ferguson, Missouri, following the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, spoke with ABC News Live Monday to share his thoughts on police reform.

ABC NEWS LIVE: We’ve heard a lot about the need for reform in training and police departments. From what you saw on the video, would additional training have prevented the brutal attack on Tyre Nichols?

CHIEF JASON ARMSTRONG: I’m not certain because the officers in that video, that were involved in that incident, clearly had been through departmental training beforehand. It’s mandatory when you get into the profession.

One thing I noticed, those individuals seemed to be intent on violence that evening, which is unfortunate.

ABC NEWS LIVE: We just heard in Stephanie Ramos’ report that a sixth officer who tased Nichols has not been charged or even fired. As you see there, he’s a white male. Some people are saying that that’s a form of racism. Do you feel that that creates the appearance of bias?

ARMSTRONG: No, no. There are two separate incidents from watching the video. This officer was involved in the first part of the incident where they got Mr. Nichols out of the vehicle and they were trying to take him into custody. And so there was a struggle there. This officer deployed his taser. [It] didn’t appear to have the taser was effective and Mr. Nichols was able to run away from the incident. And so as far as the assault on Mr. Nichols that we saw…this officer was not a part of that assault. And so an attempt to tase them does not equal the violent assault or kicking somebody in the head and punching somebody when they’re defenseless in the face with all your might and all your power. And so I see these as two separate components of that incident and not a race issue as far as Black officers being charged and a white officer not being charged. I didn’t see that white officer on that video kicking and punching Mr. Nichols in the head.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Ben Crump, the Nichols family attorney, has said that regardless of race, all police in this country have an implicit culture of bias against people of color. Do you agree with that?

ARMSTRONG: No, I don’t agree with it, no. I understand where he’s coming from and how people feel when we see these videos come out and the incidents that we see broadcast all over social media. But I work with these men and women every day, and I see the things that happen every day. And we don’t see this type of activity in these actions happening every day in our communities. And so, I understand the image that he’s trying to paint, but I disagree with that.

Now, one of the things that I will say and we can’t escape it is just as inherent in our culture and this society that we know that there are racial biases that exist. But that’s not just for police officers. That’s not just specific to the policing profession. You look at real estate, housing, and our health care system, all of those systems point to inequities.

But we have to be careful with painting everybody with that broad brush. We all have issues and biases that we deal with. But that doesn’t mean that individuals are out there trying to harm people.

ABC NEWS LIVE: You were in Ferguson when the U.S. Justice Department scrutinized that department’s conduct. What does it take to do a deep dive into an organization’s culture and root out the kind of violent behavior that we saw in Memphis?

ARMSTRONG: Well, the first step in that is looking at the policies and practices that you have in place. But then the second part is looking at how you apply those policies and practices. At the end of the day, a policy is just words on a piece of paper or words on a screen that an individual is reading. Where the true test comes into play is how are we holding individuals accountable to the words that we have and our policies and actions that we say we’re going to do.

And that’s where we see the reforms coming in to make sure that we build in that level of accountability so we can do a better job of holding ourselves accountable and catching problematic individuals and problematic behavior before we see something like this happen, what we saw in Memphis.

ABC NEWS LIVE: And this may be really kind of the same answer, but I know that specifically you’ve been addressing the issue of police bias, where you are now in Apex, North Carolina. What are you doing there specifically? How’s it going?

ARMSTRONG: So it’s going pretty good. And when it comes to addressing bias issues, a lot of that is just really doing a deep dive into the conversation with the individuals that you have to work with. Too often when we talk about bias, people automatically assume that we’re talking about racism, and that’s not necessarily the case.

We all have biases. And so [if] somebody stands up to say that they have zero biases in them, that’s not accurate because we all have some form of bias in us. And so when we talk about addressing bias issues, it’s really working with individuals and talking through examples and life experiences and things that contribute to those biases to help people better understand and recognize how we’re processing information and how our biases work within us so we can do a better job of overcoming our biases and working within them to where we’re not seeing people being negatively impacted by somebody else’s bias.

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(SANTA FE, N.M.) — The accidental shooting on the New Mexico film set of “Rust” spawned a yearlong criminal investigation, multiple lawsuits and heartfelt remembrances of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically killed when a prop gun fired.

Multiple people, including star Alec Baldwin, now face charges in connection with the deadly shooting.

Here’s a look at key events in the incident, which sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry:

Oct. 6, 2021: Production in progress

The New Mexico Film Office announced that “Rust” was currently in production in Santa Fe, with filming scheduled to go until early November 2021.

Oct. 21, 2021: On-set shooting

While on the set of the Western at Bonanza Creek Ranch, Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed by Baldwin while he was practicing using a Colt .45 revolver. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.

First assistant director David Halls had handed the gun to Baldwin while proclaiming “cold gun,” to let the crew know a gun with no live rounds was being used, according to a search warrant affidavit. However, Hutchins was killed by a live round inside the gun, authorities said.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the incident.

Nov. 17, 2021: Script supervisor files lawsuit

The film’s script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, announced she has filed a civil suit accusing Baldwin of “playing Russian roulette” by pointing a Colt .45 revolver at Hutchins.

Dec. 2, 2021: Baldwin speaks out in first interview

In his first interview following the shooting, Baldwin told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he had “no idea” how a live bullet got onto the set of his film, but that he “didn’t pull the trigger” on the firearm. He also said he didn’t believe he would face criminal charges for the tragedy.

Jan. 12, 2022: Armorer files lawsuit

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, filed a lawsuit alleging that the ammunition boxes supplied by the prop provider “failed to state” that “the contents contained both dummy and live ammunition.”

Feb. 15, 2022: Hutchins family files wrongful death lawsuit
The family of Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging reckless behavior and cost-cutting by Baldwin and others led to Hutchins’ death.

April 20, 2022: ‘Rust’ production company fined

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau issued Rust Movie Productions a “willful” citation, including a $136,793 penalty, for failures that led to Hutchins’ “avoidable death.” This is the highest level of citation and maximum fine allowable by state law in New Mexico.

Oct. 5, 2022: Hutchins family announces settlement reached

The family of Hutchins announced they had reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against the film’s producers.

As part of the settlement, Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s husband, took over as executive producer of the film and it was announced the principal actors and director would restart filming in January 2023.

Oct. 27, 2022: Sheriff’s investigation handed over to DA

Santa Fe County sheriff investigators confirmed they had turned over their report to Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, who will decide whether to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the shooting.

Nov. 11, 2022: Baldwin files lawsuit

Baldwin filed a lawsuit over the fatal shooting, alleging negligence of several of the film’s crew members. The cross-complaint, which named the Western’s first assistant director, armorer, ammunitions supplier and prop master as defendants, follows the lawsuit filed last year by the film’s script supervisor.

Nov. 18, 2022: Sheriff releases investigative report

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released its 550-page report into the fatal shooting.

Jan. 19, 2023: Charges announced

Prosecutors announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Halls already agreed to plead no contest to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

No charges will be filed in the shooting of Souza, the district attorney’s office said.

Jan. 31, 2023: Charges formally filed

Carmack-Altwies formally filed involuntary manslaughter charges in the shooting. Halls’ plea agreement is pending a judge’s approval, prosecutors said, noting there is no set timeline for approval.

The filings claimed that Baldwin and Guiterrez-Reed failed to correct reckless safety violations in their roles as producer and armorer, respectively, and that Baldwin had his finger inside the trigger and the trigger was pulled — contradicting his statements saying he never pulled the trigger.

Each defendant will be issued a summons for their first court appearance, which can be done virtually or waived, prosecutors said. During a preliminary hearing, a judge will decide whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial. Preliminary hearings are typically scheduled within 60 days of charges being filed, according to the district attorney’s office.

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(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for a man who fell off a 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico after a dive team recovered his body on Monday, according to Coast Guard officials.

The Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau dive unit recovered the body of Edgar Garay, 27, an Indiana man who was on a day trip to the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard said.

“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander Capt. José E. Díaz said in a statement.

According to officials, Garay was last seen alive shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

USCG said that a 911 emergency operator called Coast Guard personnel at 6:50 p.m. on Sunday to report the incident.

A witness told the USCG that they saw Garay “stumble toward the edge of the cliff,” the USCG said in a statement.

After conducting multiple searches for Garay via helicopter, the Coast Guard called the search off after his body was discovered.

“We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit, who was able to locate Mr. Garay’s body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment,” Díaz said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Mass shootings have hit a record pace so far this year, with 49 in January alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Over the weekend, three women were fatally shot, and four others were injured near Beverly Hills. It was the sixth mass shooting in California alone, following tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

With an estimated 393 million guns, there are more firearms than people in the U.S, and the problem is continuing to get worse. Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis about the surge in mass shootings and how his agency plans to combat gun violence in America.

DAVIS: Director, welcome to the show. I’d like to start with a fundamental question: What needs to happen in order to slow the scourge of gun violence in this country?

DETTELBACH: Well, thanks for having me. And the short answer is — a lot. I mean, as your introduction correctly points out, the amount and nature of firearms violence that we’re seeing now in this country is wholly unacceptable. I think one of the most important things we can start with is calling that out. One of my biggest fears is that people will somehow come to accept or be callous to the idea that this level of firearm violence is somehow just something that’s part of being in our country, part of being an American.

It is not. It is wholly unacceptable. Bluntly, it’s un-American. It’s not part of our story. It’s not who we are as a people. We at ATF don’t accept that. I think the men and women of law enforcement don’t accept it. You don’t accept it, and the American people shouldn’t accept it. That’s the first thing. But there’s a lot more to do beyond that to try and work shoulder to shoulder with state and local law enforcement, which we do at ATF, to see what we can do to both catch dangerous people who have committed gun crime and also do what we can do to stop them from killing again, to try and get ahead of this problem a little bit better.

DAVIS: What is the overarching issue? Is it just that we have too many guns already? Because when you look at other countries, they just don’t have this problem. And so, what are they doing better or we’re not doing enough of?

DETTELBACH: Look, it’s obviously a discussion that is happening all over the country. The president has talked a lot about it. The attorney general has talked a lot about it and others have opinions. But at ATF, our job is to take the rules and laws that Congress has passed, the tools that we have, and to do everything in our power to enforce them, to protect the community. Look, everything we do at ATF begins and ends with public safety. And so, there’s a lot that has gone on and there’s a lot more that needs to happen.

So, for instance, in August, in order to make sure we’re implementing the Gun Control Act, a law that’s been on the books for many, many years, we passed a rule that said that privately made firearms or ghost guns, which are unserialized, untraceable firearms, but they shoot and they can kill if they’re misused, just like other guns, are subject to the same provisions as traditional firearms under the Gun Control Act.

And ATF is going to do everything we can to make sure we’re enforcing the laws on the books by getting ahead of people who are misusing technology. There’s a lot going on, but there’s a lot more that needs to happen, because this threat is increasing.

DAVIS: You suggested that you would like to have more people in uniform for the ATF. What would you need to do in order to make that happen?

DETTELBACH: Well, that’s up to others, right? The president submitted a budget that called for ATF growth last year, and we’re gratified that we were able to get some additional money to do some additional hiring. We’re going to do the best with whatever the policymakers give us, and we’re going to take every single dollar and every single uniform and badge and firearm on the street that we have. We’re going to use our other intelligence and we’re going to just keep moving forward. Look, you know, we live in the world at ATF of the pounding, relentless threat of violent crime in our community.

DAVIS: Is this something that you feel that the president should discuss or at least broach during the State of the Union address next week?

DETTELBACH: I think the president has discussed the problem of gun violence in this country repeatedly. The attorney general has discussed it repeatedly. And I think we all should be conscious of discussing it repeatedly. Look, this last week, as you pointed out, I mean, there are weeks and there are weeks. This was a week where this was in the public eye more than normal.

But I have to tell you something. At ATF, it’s not just the cases that get on the news. It’s not just the cases that even get on the little crawl that goes below the news. It’s the 109 people every single day in this country who die from firearms violence that we’re focused on. Whether or not the case gets on the news, ATF is out there working not just mass shootings, but gang violence, cases involving firearms trafficking, people who are straw purchasing, who are breaking the law to get firearms to dangerous folks.

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