A shocking and disturbing incident took place in the city of Memphis, Tennessee where a man named Mr. Nichols died after a brutal encounter with the police. The footage of the encounter, which includes Mr. Nichols crying out for his mother, has been described as “sickening” and “appalling” by those who have seen it.
The incident occurred when Mr. Nichols was pulled over for alleged reckless driving, after which he struggled with five officers who have since been charged with his murder and lost their jobs.
The video of the arrest, which is thought to be about an hour long and includes a few minutes of Mr. Nichols interacting with the five officers accused of his murder, will be released in four parts at 19:00 local time. There will be redactions to anonymize those not employed by the police or the city.
According to reports, Mr. Nichols, a black man, was stopped by five black officers on his way home after taking photos of a sunset at a local park. A confrontation occurred after Mr. Nichols was pulled over for alleged reckless driving, and another confrontation took place when Mr. Nichols fled on foot and was caught and arrested by the officers.
He later complained of shortness of breath and was taken to the hospital where he was listed in critical condition. He died three days later, but the official cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
The five officers are in custody facing charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. Lawyers for two of the ex-officers have stated that their clients plan to fight the charges.
Tyre Nichols Police beating pic.twitter.com/DE89w2Asoi
— 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 (@xCriticalBeast) January 28, 2023