The Memphis Police Department released about an hour of footage this Friday (01/27); in it, police officers take turns attacking Tire Nichols, who died three days later (Photo: Memphis Police)
Videos released Friday night (January 27) show five police officers taking turns brutally kicking and beating 29yearold Tire Nichols, who died January 10 in the United States.
Meanwhile, during an arrest in the city of Memphis on Jan. 7, the young man appears crying and repeatedly calls for his mother. He was hospitalized and died three days later.
The images also show police officers shouting obscenities and beating the FedEx employee for about three minutes. In total, the four videos released by the Memphis Police Department exceed one hour of footage.
Nichols died three days after being stopped by police in traffic (Picture: Portal)
Protests are already taking place in Memphis and other American cities this Friday.
Nichols was black, as were all five police officers accused of his murder.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said her son was just 70 yards from the home when Memphis police officers shot him. Family lawyers are comparing the case to that of Rodney King, who was beaten by police in Los Angeles in 1991 after being stopped in traffic. King survived and is now a writer.
Police initially said Nichols was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving, which has not been substantiated.
The five officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith were fired last week.
Left to right: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean (Photo: Memphis Police)
They were taken into custody on Thursday (26th). Four of the five posted bail and were released Friday morning. Each faces charges of seconddegree murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official repression.
Attorneys for Martin and Mills said their clients would plead not guilty.
Memphis Police Commissioner Cerelyn Davis described the officers’ actions as “despicable, inconsiderate and inhumane.”
US President Joe Biden said in a statement: “Like many others, I was outraged and deeply saddened to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in the death of Tire Nichols.”
Description of the videos
Officer’s body camera image shows beating (Picture: Portal)
BBC reporters viewed the videos released by police.
The first video shows the officers pulling Nichols out of the car and yelling at him to get on the ground.
“I haven’t done anything!” he says. The officers demand that he lie down.
“Go to [palavro] cho,” yells one officer, while another was heard saying, “Do tasers [arma de eletrochoque] in him!”
An officer yells, “Put your hands behind your back before I break them [palavro].”
“You guys are really overreacting right now,” Nichols tells the cops. “I’m just trying to go home.”
Within seconds, one of the officers triggers the taser and Nichols manages to escape.
A second video, apparently from a camera across the street, shows two officers holding Nichols down while others took turns kicking, hitting and swinging him with a baton.
They drag him across the ground and set him against a squad car.
The third and fourth videos show body camera footage of the officers during the beating. Pepper spray is thrown at Nichols, who repeatedly yells “Me!”
