Family members described the material as appalling.
The city of Memphis released police body camera footage and surveillance video Friday showing the traffic stop and violent police confrontation that led to the death of Tire Nichols, a 29-year-old black man.
Nichols passed away three days following the incident from his injuries. There are five former police officers criminally charged on various charges.
CNN had previously obtained snippets of the police radio communication before Nichols’ arrest. Parts of the recording are inaudible, but some of the conversation between an agent and the operator can be heard.
A police officer is heard saying “we have a black man on the run” and then gives instructions to “run the car registration tag and find out what the address is”, followed by what sounds like Nichols in distress.
It is not clear where in the entire incident this audio takes place or which officer is speaking.
The death of Tire Nichols: “You are going to see acts that defy humanity,” says the police chief on the video of the arrest in Memphis
What do we know regarding the incident?
Nichols was pulled over by Memphis officers on January 7 for alleged reckless driving, according to a police statement. That day, at approximately 8:30 pm local time, agents stopped a vehicle.
“A confrontation ensued between officers and the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Nichols, fled on foot, according to Memphis police. Officers pulled him over and “another confrontation ensued” that led to Nichols’ arrest, according to police.
An ambulance was called to the scene of the arrest following Nichols complained of difficulty breathing, according to police, and he was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
He had a confrontation with Memphis police officers, and suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to preliminary results of an autopsy commissioned by lawyers for his family.
Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, who viewed the footage Monday with his family, lawyers and police officers, said it was clear Nichols “feared for his life” and ran. “He didn’t run because he was trying to get rid of any drugs, any guns, anything like that. He ran because he feared for his life. And when you watch the video, you’ll see why he feared for his life.”
RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, asked at a vigil on Thursday that she wants supporters to demonstrate peacefully following seeing the video. “When that recording comes out tomorrow, it’s going to be horrible,” Wells said. “I haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be horrible.”
Lawyers for Nichols’ family also viewed video of the arrest on Monday and described it as “appalling.” Nichols was shocked, pepper-sprayed and physically restrained, family attorney Ben Crump said.
To the point that he compared it to the beating Rodney King received from the Los Angeles police.
Crump described the video as “appalling,” “deplorable” and “appalling.” He also maintained that RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’s mother, was unable to view the first minute of footage following hearing him ask: “What did I do?” At the end of the recording, Nichols can be heard calling his mother three times, the lawyer said.
In that sense, Crump said that the video “will evoke strong emotions, very strong”, and reiterated the repeated calls of both the family of Nichols and the police that any demonstration or protest by the death of Nichols be done peacefully.
Full 6 minute Memphis police body can footage shows officer repeatedly beating, kicking & pepper spraying an unarmed Tyre Nichols. #JusticeforTyreNichols #MemphisPolice pic.twitter.com/KCnTNxhiY2
— t ???????? (@diamondswet999) January 28, 2023
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