Largely peaceful demonstrations have launched around the country following the police beating and killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee. Footage from the January 7th appalling mass police beating was just released by Memphis Police showing the event from different angles and body cam perspectives.
In preparing for potential violence and unrest, many city businesses have boarded up windows for the possibility of looting.
29-year-old Tyre Nichols was taken into police custody after officers allegedly witnessed Nichols recklessly driving. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, there was an initial traffic stop that involved a physical confrontation. Tyre ran away from the police, making it about a half mile away before being apprehended the second time.
In the second encounter, the police officers took turns beating Tyre Nichols with their fists, kicking him, tasering him, pepper spraying him multiple times and beating him with batons.
Adding to the gut wrenching tragedy, Nichols was only a few blocks from his home when officers attacked him with Nichols crying out for his mom while police tortured him.
The brutality the cops inflicted on Nichols left him in critical condition in the hospital and as a result of his injuries, he died days later in a Memphis hospital on January 10, 2023, in what was effectively a police execution. Tyre Nicole is survived by his four-year-old son.
Tyre Nicols mother, RowVaugn Well, said about seeing her son in the hospital, “When my husband and I got to the hospital and I saw my son, he was already gone. They had beat him to a pulp. He had bruises all over him. His head was swollen like a watermelon. His neck was busting because of the swelling. They broke his neck. My son’s nose looked like an ‘S.’ They actually just beat the crap out of him. And so when I saw that, I knew my son was gone then. Even if he did live, he would have been a vegetable.”
Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells said in an interview about his reaction to the video footage, “one officer kicked him like he was kicking a football, a couple of times.” Wells says, “the most telling thing about the video, to me, was the fact that it was maybe 10 officers on the scene and nobody tried to stop it or even after they beat him and they propped him up against the car. No one rendered aid to him whatsoever. They walked around smoking cigarettes like it was all calm and like, you knowing bragging about what happened.”
***Warning*** Violent Footage
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith, five of the officers involved in the brutal beating and murder of Tyre Nichols were fired from their jobs on January 20, 2023, and they now face criminal charges for second-degree murder, among other charges. The five officers were booked into jail on January 26th, by the next day they all bonded out of jail and they now await trial.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis says in a statement that other officers are still under investigation, and “some of the infractions are less egregious than others.” Memphis Police were responsible for the murder of Tyre Nichols, “this is not just a professional failing, this is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual. This incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane.”
The Chief said that the police footage would be released to the public in an effort of transparency and she expected the public to feel outraged at the “disregard of human rights” that the videos demonstrate. She said she expects a public reaction of protests and demonstrations.
The Chief told Don Lemon in an interview the incident was “about the same if not worse” than the Rodney King video. A major distinction is that Rodney King was not killed by police, but he, like Nichols, was brutally beaten and the violence was captured on video in both cases.
In 1992, Rodney King was brutally beaten by LAPD after a traffic stop, footage captured the vicious police violence, leading to a public outcry. Four officers were charged with excessive force, but they were acquitted of charges. The injustice provoked days of violent unrest and riots in LA, killing dozens of people and causing injuries of thousands. The National Guard and military were activated to reinforce police. By 1993 there was a new federal trial that finally led to the sentencing of two of the officers.
The Memphis Chief said that when people see the police videos, they will “see a disregard for life.” She says in the investigations, “we have not been able to substantiate the reckless driving” that was “why he was supposedly stopped in the very beginning.” Investigations have not illuminated that police officers had proof of a probable cause in the traffic stop of Nichols.
Police body cam video was released to the public on Friday, January, 27.
***Warning*** Violent Footage
There was over an hour’s worth of footage released by the Memphis PD. These are four parts of footage, including body cam footage and the perspective of a street surveillance camera:
Footage of the event looks more like mob or gang street violence than a scene of legitimate police work. People across the country are appalled by witnessing such callous police brutality caught on video. Largely peaceful protests are happening across the country. Tyre Nichols’ stepfather pleaded with the public asking for demonstrations to remain peaceful.
In a public statement, Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells said, “we want peace. We do not want any type of uproar, we do not want any type of disturbance. We want peaceful protests, that’s what the family wants, that’s what the community wants.”
Demonstrations have been widely peaceful, honoring the Nichols family wishes. Protesters blocked a bridge road in Memphis, shutting down traffic. Protesters came out in solidarity with the Nichols family and chanted Tyre Nichols’ name asking for “Justice for Tyre.” The protest was peaceful and disrupted traffic for a time.
Demonstrations in New York City were more confrontational on Friday night of January 27. A protester jumped on a squad car in the area of a street protest in Times Square, the protester damaged the roof of the car and stomped on the windshield, smashing it. There were confrontations between protesters and police which led to arrests, but the demonstration was largely peaceful otherwise.