The five Memphis police officers who were fired following the Jan. 7 traffic stop of a Black man named Tyre Nichols have been charged with murder in connection with the 29-year-old’s death.
From left, officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith.Memphis Police Department (4)
Nichols was pulled over for alleged reckless driving on Jan. 7 around 8:30 pm.In a statement, Memphis police said more than one “confrontation occurred” after officers approached Nichols' vehicle and he allegedly fled on foot.
Officers eventually arrested Nichols and he allegedly began to complain about being short of breath. An ambulance transported him to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition. He died three days later, and an image of him in the hospital appears to show his face bruised and bloodied.
Nichols' family recently viewed the body camera footage of his arrest for the first time, multiple outlets report, and they allege the clip shows officers savagely beating, restraining and tasing him.
At a press conference atMt. Olive Cathedral CME Churchin Memphis, Nichols' stepfather Rodney Wells said, “Our son ran because he was scared for his life.”
Tyre Nichols.Adrian Sainz/AP/Shutterstock
“I don’t care what color — black, white, pink, purple, [people] should [never] go through this,” Nichols' mother, Ravaughn Wells, said at the press conference. “My son didn’t do no drug[s], didn’t carry no guns, he didn’t like confrontation, none of that, that’s why this is so hard.”
At the press conference, Wells described her son as a “beautiful soul” who had her name tattooed on his arm. The family also said he loved photography, skateboarding and computers,per CNN.
Family attorney Crump said the video of the arrest — which has not yet been publicly released — “reminded us of the [1991 LAPD]Rodney Kingvideo,” calling it “deplorable” and “heinous, violent … troublesome on every level.”
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Crump’s co-counsel Romanucci described the video’s contents as “an unadulterated, unabashed nonstop beating of this young boy for three minutes,” calling the officers' actions “savage” and excessive. Crump said Nichols cried out for his mother several times during the incident.
In a video statement,Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said, in part, “Aside from being your chief of police… I am a mother, I am a caring human being who wants the best for all of us. This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual. This incident was heinous, reckless, and inhumane; and in the vein of transparency when the video is released in the coming days, you will see this for yourselves.”
Speaking about the decision to terminate them, Police Chief Cerelyn Davissaid in a statement: “After a thorough review of the circumstances … we have determined that five Memphis Police Department officers violated multiple department policies, including excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid.”
Davis also said the department is working with the district attorney’s office and will soon release the video of the traffic stop to the public.
“We understand and agree that transparency around the events surrounding the death of Mr. Tyre Nichols is critically important, especially the release of the video footage,” Mayor Jim Strickland and Chief CJ Davis said in a Jan. 17 statement, noting that the video will be released “after the completion of the internal investigation into the actions of the officers and after the family of Mr. Nichols has had the opportunity to review the video privately.”
After the Jan. 7 incident with Tyre Nichols, two Memphis firefighters involved in his “initial patient care” were also"relieved of duty"from their jobs, multiple outlets report. So far, the firefighters have not been charged in connection with his death.
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source: people.com
