The family of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who died following an arrest made by police officers for recklessly driving his vehicle, has viewed body camera footage of the encounter and called the incident "appalling."
The video showed Nichols crying for his mother three times as law enforcement personnel beat him, all within 100 yards of his home. The 29-year-old victim was pronounced dead in a hospital only three days after the encounter with Memphis police officers, who have since been fired from the department.
Tyre Nichols Incident Footage
While the video was not yet released to the public, officials have already screened the footage for the Nichols family. The victim's family said he died of kidney failure and cardiac arrest on Jan. 10, 2023. In a statement, a police spokesperson noted that the officers who pulled Nichols pursued the man when he fled on foot.
The victim's stepfather, Rodney Wells, said that the things he saw on the video were "horrific," adding that no father or mother should ever have to see something like it. As per the Washington Post, he was calling for justice for his stepson's death.
The police department also said that it would reveal video footage of the encounter to the public after the Nichols family has had a chance to review it. In a Monday statement, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said that prematurely releasing the video could adversely impact the criminal investigation and the judicial process regarding the case.
The 29-year-old victim was a father to a four-year-old boy, a skateboarder similar to his father, and worked an afternoon-evening shift as a FedEx employee. After watching bodycam footage of the incident, Wells said his stepson only fled officers at the traffic stop because he was afraid for his life at the hands of law enforcement personnel.
In a statement, Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Nichols family in the case, said that the actions of the police, as seen in the video, were "deplorable," "heinous," and "violent." Also, co-counsel Antonio Romanucci described the victim as a "human pinata" for the police officers.
Police Brutality
The family's attorneys said that Nichols was the victim of an "unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating." They argued that the killing was similar to the brutality seen when Rodney King died at the hands of police officers, according to NBC News.
Romanucci argued that the body cam footage showed that police officers conducted multiple uses of force. On the other hand, Crump said that the incident was once again proof of what Black and brown people suffer at the hands of law enforcement personnel.
Nichols' mother, Ravaughn Wells, was seen visibly and audibly upset during a news conference that was held following the viewing of body cam footage. She said that her son was trying to get home and was only two minutes away from their home.
Crump also noted that Nichols was tased, sprayed, and restrained during the encounter with police officers. He added that authorities promised to release video footage of the incident in one to two weeks, said NPR.
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