Bodycam video footage released of Tyre Nichols’ murderous police beating
On the evening of January 7 in Memphis, Tennessee, a 29-year-old father and employee of FedEx, Tyre Nichols, was driving home from taking pictures of the day’s sunset at a local park. While he was making his way home, officers with the Memphis Police Department (MPD) stopped him for reckless driving. Nichols can be heard on police body cam video as saying that he was just trying to get home. There is no supportive evidence that he was driving recklessly.
As officers approached Nichols to arrest him, a “confrontation” occurred and Nichols ran away, police said. A second “confrontation” also occurred at some point before Nichols was ultimately arrested, police said. ~ CBS News
The “confrontations” leading up to Nichols’ arrest involved five police officers who can be seen restraining him, holding his hands down, punching him, and striking him with batons, all the while screaming at him to “show me your hands,” which he couldn’t because he was already being restrained. Nichols suffered a severe beating at the hands of those five officers and complained to them on the scene that he was having trouble breathing.
Police bodycam footage shows officers hitting Nichols repeatedly in the face while his hands were restrained. At some point, Nichols cries out for his mother as officers surround him.
CNN reported that an ambulance was called, and Nichols was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Three days later on January 10, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Nichols had died due to injuries sustained in the “use-of-force incident with officers.”
The five officers were identified by the MPD as:
- Officer Tadarrius Bean – Hire date: August 2020
- Officer Demetrius Haley – Hire date: August 2020
- Officer Emmitt Martin III – Hire date: March 2018
- Officer Desmond Mills, Jr. – Hire date: March 2017
- Officer Justin Smith – Hire date: March 2018
The national outcry concerning the beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the police was loud and immediate. Also promising to hold the officers accountable were members of the Memphis PD and the city’s Mayor; and an internal police investigation by the MPD was underway.
As early as January 7, the MPD had enlisted the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office to conduct an independent investigation into the use of force by Memphis police officers.
“After reviewing various sources of information involving this incident, I have found that it is necessary to take immediate and appropriate action,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said.
“Today, the department is serving notice to the officers involved of the impending administrative actions.” ~ MPD, January 15, 2023
On January 20, MPD Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis announced the termination of all five officers. On January 26, the five former officers were charged with second-degree murder.
All five are now looking at two counts of official misconduct, one count of official oppression, one count of second-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, according to Fox News.
On January 27, Mempis Mayor Jim Strickland announced that Nichols’ family members had the opportunity to view the video footage of Tyre’s beating privately and before those videos were released to the public. And later that evening, the brutal and graphic videos were released to the general public.
According to the City of Memphis, the videos were recorded on the evening of January 7.
Video 1 is a police-issued body-worn camera near the intersection of Raines and Ross Rd. Videos 2, 3, and 4 are video footage at the second location, a residential neighborhood. Video 2 is from a pole camera and contains no audio. Videos 3 and 4 are police-issued body-worn camera videos. These videos have been redacted pursuant to T.C.A. § 10-7-501, et. seq.
WARNING: The video contains graphic content and language. Viewer discretion is advised. The video can be viewed at www.vimeo.com/CityofMemphis
The videos, which come with graphic warnings, show the officers “savagely beating” Nichols for three minutes while screaming profanities at him throughout the attack, according to WPBF.
Statement excerpt from Memphis Mayor Jim Stickland:
It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training.
… I am sad and angry for the family of Tyre Nichols. I am also angry for the many good men and women of the Memphis Police Department who devote their lives to serving our citizens. We must all work to regain the public’s trust and work together to heal the wounds these events have caused.” – Mayor Jim Strickland
On January 26, the five former police officers were arrested, booked into Shelby County Jail and charged. By Friday night, they all had bonded out.
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
