It’s been almost three weeks since a stop in Memphis resulted in a violent arrest and three days later the death of the 29-year-old black driver.
Tire Nichols was hospitalized after he pull over on January 7, the police said. Five Memphis Police Department officers, also Black, were fired following an internal investigation and are being investigated. face criminal chargesincluding second degree murder.
Key questions remain unanswered as the nation – wary of how police treat people of colorespecially after Mass protests in 2020 – wait the police released the footage of the case. Officials said the footage would be released sometime after 6 p.m. CT on Friday.
This is what we know – and still don’t know on Nichols’ death:
Police “confrontation”: On January 7, around 8:30 p.m., Memphis officers pull over a vehicle on suspicion of reckless driving, according to a statement from Memphis police.
“A confrontation occurred” between the officers and the driver of the vehicle – later identified as Nichols – who then fled on foot, according to Memphis police. Officers arrested him and “another confrontation occurred,” leading to Nichols’ arrest, police said.
It’s not clear what his driving seemed reckless, how far Nichols was on foot, who was involved in the initial police encounter, how the officers arrested him, How long did these “confrontations” last, why officers felt compelled to confront Nichols twice, and where exactly this happened.
At a news conference on Thursday, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said there was “a period of time” to get medical help to Nichols when he was injured while being stopped by Memphis police.
Nichols’ death: On January 10, three days after the stoppage, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Nichols had died from injuries sustained during the “use of force incident with officers,” according to a statement.
Nichols was “bleeding heavily from the brutal beatings,” according to a preliminary autopsy report commissioned by his family’s attorney.
CNN has asked Crump for a copy of autopsies commissioned by the family, but he said the full report is not yet ready. Officials have also not released Nichols’ autopsy.
Who is Tire Nichols? Nichols is the youngest child in his family, the youngest in a family of four children and he love being a father with his son, his family said.
He’s a “good boy” who spends his Sunday doing laundry and getting ready for the new week, his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said.
Nichols moved to Memphis before the Covid-19 pandemic and was stuck there when everything was closed, his mother said.
When he’s off the second shift at FedEx, Nichols enjoys photography and skateboarding, something he’s been doing since he was 6 years old.
Nichols has Crohn’s disease, a digestive problem, and is thin, weighing only 140 to 145 pounds even though he’s 6 feet 3 inches tall, his mother said.
What police have said since the incident happened: On January 18, the Ministry of Justice said civil rights investigation was opened on Nichols’ death. Sheriff of Memphis condemn actions of the officers involved.
“This is not just a professional failure. This is a fundamental failure of humanity to another individual,” Sheriff Cerelyn Davis said in a YouTube video Wednesday, her first on-camera comment about the pre-death arrest. by Nichols.
The family and attorney watched footage of the incident: The family attorney watched the video on Monday and described it as “disgusting.” Benjamin Crump said Nichols was wrapped, pepper sprayed and restrained, and compared it to Los Angeles police who beat Rodney King in 1991. Crump described the video as “horrible”, “reproachable” and “hideous”.
