Death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols: What the video shows
The footage may be disturbing to some viewers.
TOLEDO, Ohio — It’s horrible video that has led to an outpouring of heartbreak and anger.
The beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee by five former Memphis Police Department officers on January 7th is just the latest incident of brutality at the hands of law enforcement. Nichols died just three days after being stopped for reckless driving, according to police. The officers involved now face second-degree murder and kidnapping charges. Video of the police response was released Friday, and had many shaken to the core.
And now, a walkthrough of the video. For many of you, it’s difficult to watch.
In the first video, bodycam video, officers attempt to apprehend Nichols. He responds by running from police.
In a second video, surveillance video from a neighborhood, you see officers apprehending Nichols at an intersection. There’s no audio from this recording. However, you can clearly see officers taking turns swinging at Nichols, and after a few minutes, they eventually sit him up against a waiting police car.
About 25 minutes after the start of the brutal beating, medics arrive.
The third video released by the City of Memphis gives us a better view, as well as audio, of the struggle between Nichols and officers. One painfully difficult moment in the video shows Nichols yelling for his mother. The 4th and final video released offers another bodycam perspective of the incident.
“The actions of these officers were awful, and no one, including law enforcement, is above the law. I assure you we will do everything we can to keep this type of heinous act from happening again,” said Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland (D) in a video statement.
In light of this incident, the Memphis Police Department has deactivated its ‘SCORPION’ unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods.
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