The chief of police in Memphis has cautioned the local community against reacting with “violence or destruction” when the body camera footage of the horrific beating of black driver Tyre Nichols is revealed, and law enforcement agencies are bracing for protests on Thursday.
Wednesday night, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis released a video statement in which she described Nichols’ beating as “heinous, reckless, and inhumane” — but she also begged the community not to lash out in response to the video.
She stated, “I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels.” “I anticipate that you will be outraged by the violation of fundamental human rights, as our police officers have sworn to do the opposite of what is depicted in the video.”
She continued, “I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, demanding action and results.” “However, we must safeguard the safety of our community during this procedure. This is not an invitation to incite violence or devastation against our community or citizens.”
Nichols’ family members were viewed the body camera film earlier this week, and one of their attorneys later stated that Nichols was handled by the officers like a “human piata” and compared his contact with the police to Rodney King’s infamous 1991 beating, which triggered riots in Los Angeles.
Nichols, a 29-year-old father of a 4-year-old child, was assaulted by a gang of Memphis police officers on January 7 during a traffic stop for reckless driving.
Police said in a statement issued the day after the incident that “a confrontation occurred” as officers approached the vehicle and Nichols fled, and that “another confrontation occurred” as officers attempted to apprehend him.
According to police, Nichols complained of shortness of breath and was subsequently transported to a hospital, where he died three days later.
Relatives have accused the cops of triggering Nichols’ heart attack and kidney failure by hitting him. Officials have only stated that Nichols had a medical issue.
Davis noted that the footage of Nichols’ traffic stop was released “in the interest of transparency” and “to demonstrate to those who are observing us now that this behavior will not define our community and this great city.”
She continued, “This does not reflect the daily dedication of many Memphis police officers.”
Davis emphasized that she was speaking not only as a police chief but also as a citizen, a mother, and a “caring human being who wants the best for us all.”
Five black policemen were terminated on Friday in relation to the incident, after an internal review determined that they used excessive force and failed to intervene and offer aid. Additional law enforcement officials may be subject to discipline.
The chief stated that the police were “directly responsible” for the physical mistreatment of the 29-year-old FedEx employee. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith were their names.
Two Memphis Fire Department employees involved in Nichols’ care after the police incident have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an inquiry.
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who represents the Nichols family, viewed the police footage and reported that it shows the driver being shocked, pepper-sprayed, and restrained.
“This is not merely a professional blunder. This is a failure of basic compassion towards another person,” Davis stated, adding that the officers involved “failed our community and the Nichols family. This is unfathomably regrettable.”
The chief stated that she was determined to seeking “absolute accountability” for those responsible for Nichols’ death. Davis pledged complete cooperation with external investigations conducted by the Justice Department, FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
US Attorney Kevin G. Ritz warned the man’s family at a recent meeting that the federal probe into Nichols’ death “may take some time” during a news conference on Wednesday.
“As I informed the family of Mr. Nichols, our federal inquiry could take some time. This occurs frequently,” Ritz stated. However, we shall be diligent and base our choices on the facts and the law.
Davis did not indicate in her videotaped statement when the body camera footage will be made public, but Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy stated that its release will be carefully timed to allow investigators to interview as many suspects or witnesses as possible, thereby preventing them from tailoring their statements to what they saw in the footage.
Mulroy stated that he worried influencing witnesses by releasing the footage too early in the investigation. He pleaded for the public’s tolerance as campaigners expressed indignation about the delay.
Monday, Nichols’ family viewed the body camera footage. Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney, stated afterwards that the recording reveals the driver was frightened, pepper-sprayed, and restrained after being stopped on his way home.
He was returning from a local park where he had photographed the sunset.
Nicholas was driving home after photographing the sunset at a park when he was stopped for reckless driving.
Descendants of Tyre Nichols
According to attorneys for Nicholas’s family, police officers pummeled him for three minutes in a “brutal” incident.
Wednesday, District Attorney Mulroy expressed his distress at the footage.
He stated, “My heart went out to the family.” “I’m a parent … I cannot conceive of anything worse than losing a child, with the possible exception of losing a child under really violent and protracted circumstances.”
The publication of the body camera footage might coincide with a decision on whether to press charges against the five dismissed Memphis police officers, the district attorney added.
»Memphis police chief advises against a violent response to the release of the Tyre Nichols video«