Memphis braces for release of video in Tyre Nichols’ arrest
MEMPHIS (AP) — The city of Memphis and the nation on Friday awaited the release of a police video depicting five officers viciously beating Tyre Nichols, a black man whose death prompted murder charges against the cops and outrage at the country's latest instance of police brutality.
The officers were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes in the killing of Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 7.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told a news conference that although the officers each played different roles in the killing, "they are all responsible."
The officers, who are all black, each face charges of seconddegree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Nichols' family members and their lawyers said the footage shows officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault that the legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn Davis described the officers' actions as "heinous, reckless and inhumane," and said Friday that her department has been unable to substantiate the reckless driving allegation that prompted the stop.
"As far as I know today, I do believe that the stop itself was very questionable," she told Good Morning America.
Davis said she expected protests to erupt after the video's release. But she urged the community to remain peaceful.
"I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand actions and results, but we need to ensure our community is safe in this process," she said. "None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens."
Video of the traffic stop will be released to the public sometime Friday evening, Mulroy said, noting that local and state investigators wanted to complete as many interviews as possible before releasing it.
Davis told GMA that the decision to release the video on Friday evening rather than earlier in the day had been made after consulting with other local leaders, who believe it's best to do it when schools are out and people are home from work.
As a precaution, Memphis area schools canceled all after-class activities and postponed a school event scheduled for Saturday morning.
Nichols' stepfather, Rodney Wells, told The Associated Press by phone that he and his wife, RowVaughn Wells, who is Nichols' mother, discussed the seconddegree murder charges and are "fine with it." They had sought first-degree murder charges.
"There's other charges, so I'm all right with that," he said.
The Wellses were joined by several dozen supporters on a cold Thursday night for a candlelight vigil and prayer service at a Memphis skate park. Nichols, who had a 4-year-old son, was an avid skateboarder.
RowVaughn Wells, who said her family is "grief-stricken," warned supporters of the "horrific" nature of the video set to be released Friday, but like Davis, pleaded for peaceful protests.
"I don't want us burning up our city, tearing up the streets, because that's not what my son stood for," she said. "If you guys are here for me and Tyre, then you will protest peacefully."