Tire Nichols, 29, was beaten for three minutes by Memphis police on January 7 after police stopped him for reckless driving, his family’s attorney said Monday. The pause escalated into a violent confrontation that ended with Mr Nichols being hospitalized in critical condition. Three days later, he died.
The circumstances of the traffic stop remain murky, as officials have divulged little information. But Mr Nichols’ death has sparked anger and frustration in Memphis as his family, their lawyers and activists seek answers.
Memphis is currently awaiting the release of the video of the stop, which city officials have announced will be made public. The Nichols family and their attorney watched the video on Monday. In it, they could see that Mr. Nichols, who is black, was pepper sprayed, electrocuted and restrained, Antonio Romanucci, one of the lawyers, told reporters after viewing the footage.
In an initial statement, police said a “confrontation occurred” when officers, all of whom are Black, approached Mr Nichols’ car on the evening of January 7 and he fled. . Then there was another “confrontation” when officers arrested him, the statement said.
“He was a piñata to those police officers,” Romanucci said Monday, standing with Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells. “Not only is it violent, it’s also barbaric.”
What is the status of the investigation into Mr. Nichols’ death?
State and federal investigations are underway as prosecutors determine whether criminal charges should be filed against officers involved in the stop. An internal investigation by the Memphis Police Department found that officers used excessive force and were unable to intervene or assist.
On Friday, the department announced that the five officers involved – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith – were fired. All officers joined the department between 2017 and 2020.
“The grave nature of this incident does not reflect the good work our officers perform, with integrity, on a daily basis,” Memphis police chief Cerelyn Davis said in a statement.
The Memphis Police Association, which represents the city’s officers, declined to comment on the fire. “The citizens of Memphis, and more importantly, Mr. Nichols’ family deserve a full account of the events leading up to his death” and what may have contributed to it, Lt. Essica Cage-Rosario, president of the association, said in a statement.
Mr. Nichols’ family is pushing the officer to be charged with first-degree murder. “We will not tolerate anything lacking,” Rodney Wells, Mr. Nichols’ stepfather, said at a news conference Monday after viewing the videos, which he described as “terrible.”
Who is Tire Nichols?
Nichols worked the second shift at a FedEx facility, the shipping company that is a major employer and has a corporate presence in Memphis. Every night, around 7 p.m., he would return to his mother’s home for a “lunch,” according to his family. He worked there for about nine months.
He has a 4 year old son. He went to the same Starbucks most mornings around 8:30 a.m., his mother said. He often goes to Shelby Farms, a large public park just outside of Memphis. He photographed sunsets and skateboarding, a passion he had since he was 6 years old – a passion his stepfather thought he was getting too old for. “You have to put that skateboard down,” Mr. Wells remembers telling Mr. Nichols shortly before his death. “You now have a full-time job.”
His mother said Mr. Nichols had her name tattooed on his arm. “That makes me proud,” she said. “Most children don’t name their mothers. My son is a beautiful soul.”
According to family attorneys, Mr Nichols told officers during the events of January 7 that he just wanted to go home, and according to what they believe were his last words, he called his mother. . Lawyers said her home was about 100 meters from where he was beaten.
When will the video of the incident be released?
City officials have promised transparency, including releasing footage of the beating. But the timing for that is still unclear. The family’s attorney said it could be at least another week. Other details are also uncertain, such as how much footage was released and whether it was only from officers’ body-worn cameras or included other sources.
Mr. Nichols’ family has appealed to the community to give authorities time to wrap up the investigation.
But on Monday, they and their attorney shared some of what they saw on the video.
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the family, said at the press conference: “His mother couldn’t get past the first minute of it. “What we can tell you about that video is it’s horrible, it’s deplorable, it’s disgusting.”
Mr Crump said Mr Nichols pleaded with officers to explain why he was stopped before things escalated.
“‘What did I do?’ – that was his question,” said Mr. Crump. “’What did I do?'”
Jessica Jaglois and Laura Faith Kebede contribution report.
