Memphis authorities released police video from the violent arrest on Friday. Rubber NicholsThe death of a 29-year-old black man earlier this month led to second-degree murder Murder charges On the five officers fired in the accident. Nichols died three days after his family and authorities described a violent confrontation that stemmed from a traffic stop.
The four videos — posted on Memphis’ Vimeo account just before 7 p.m. EST — were taken from police body cameras and street cameras. Disturbing footage shows officers first pulling Nichols out of the car, Nichols breaking free and running from officers, first struggling, then being beaten by five officers at a suburban intersection.
The unsettling footage sparks a wave of national outrage and calls for police reform. On Friday night, mostly peaceful protests were taking place in cities across the country.
City of Memphis by AP
The videos show various angles of Nicole being pepper-sprayed, restrained, head-butted, punched and repeatedly hit with a stick.
The first body camera video shows a police officer approaching a car stopped at a red light Nichols was dragged to the ground by another officer with his gun drawn. An officer threatens to break his arms if he doesn’t put them down.
Nichols remains relatively calm as the officers yell and try to restrain him.
“Okay, I’m on the ground,” he says. “You guys are working hard, I’m just trying to get home.”
The officers continued to push Nichols to the ground, when an officer wearing a body camera pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Nichols’ leg. Soon, another officer pepper sprays him and that’s when Nichols appears to break down and run down the street.
A second video, taken from an elevated street surveillance camera, shows officers restraining and beating Nicole at another suburban intersection.
The video, with no sound, shows two officers holding Nicole to the ground, before a third officer approaches and punches Nicole twice in the face. A fourth officer reached for a retractable baton and began beating Nicole, hitting him in the back. Nichols was tackled by two officers and stood and stumbled, while the other punched Nichols in the face several times until he fell.
A third video shows body camera footage and audio of the beating, after officers arrest Nicole at an intersection. While he is restrained on the ground, the officer wearing the camera pepper sprays Nichols repeatedly.
“Mother, mother, mother!” “Give me your hand!” Nichols said when an officer yelled.
The bodycam-clad officer walks away from Nichols, breathing heavily, apparently injured by the pepper. He then approached the officers restraining Nichols and deployed his baton.
“Be careful,” he warns the officers. “You’re going to beat me out of you,” he yelled at Nichols, hitting him three times, each blow saying, “Give us your hand!” The crack of the stick can be heard in the video.
A fourth video shows body camera footage of an officer chasing and knocking Nicole to the ground at the intersection. At the one minute and 37 second mark, the video is almost completely obscured – the camera appears to be blocked by something. But still there is a voice, and Nichols “Mother!” He is heard shouting. In the background.
“Give me your hand, lay back, lay your head back, lay flat,” the cop yells. Nichols appeared to be struggling to catch his breath, and one of the officers said, “Breathe, man.”
The view is closed for four. Minutes, and at some point, the click of handcuffs is heard.
“Get him up!” says one officer. As officers gather at the intersection, police lights flash and Nichols can be seen sitting in the road with his back against a gray truck, his hands behind his back. An officer shines a flashlight in his face twice, and Nichols appears to be bleeding from the side of his head.
Nichols sat in the dark against the car, barely moving. At one point, paramedics are seen supporting him as he goes down to the side. The footage shows at least ten officers gathered at the intersection, and some are describing how they chased and stopped Nicole.
“S*** my knees,” complained the bodycam-clad officer. Another officer complains about his leg, and it seems that he is suffocating. “That m****f**** was strong,” a police officer said in the video.
“When I see that boy running, that motherfucker ain’t sorry no more,” says one officer. Then another officer says, “Your camera is on.”
Another officer said Nichols arrived and grabbed the gun. “You can’t go anywhere, you’re not going anywhere,” someone tells him as the paramedic examines Nichols, who is covered in blood and struggles with pain.
After the video was released, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. announced Friday night that two deputies who responded to the scene of Nichols’ arrest had been “relieved.”
Bonner said an “internal investigation” has been launched to determine whether the agents violated any policies. A spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Department declined to identify the deputies when reached by CBS News, but said they were on paid leave.
CBS News has learned that investigators are looking for more possible video evidence from surveillance cameras in an effort to determine with greater certainty what sparked the collision.
Five former Memphis police officers were part of the department. SCORPION roomIt means Operation Road Crimes to restore peace in our neighborhood. The crime-fighting SCORPION teams operate as a team, and sometimes use low-level traffic stops to find violent criminals, narcotics or weapons, the department said.
Scorpion Nichols had been “inactive” since his arrest, police said, and on Saturday the department Confirmed The unit has been “permanently disabled.”
Officials, Nichols’ family members and their attorneys viewed the video before it was released Friday.
Nichols’ mother, Rowan Wells She told “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday that she couldn’t bear to watch the whole thing. “What did I hear my son say?” Now that’s where I’m lost,” she said.
“I’ve never seen the video, but I’ve heard it’s horrible, it’s horrible, and any of you who have kids, please don’t let them see it,” Wells said at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis told NBC News on Friday that the video was “horrific, shocking, depressing, sad.”
“There were times when he was sleeping, there were times when he was sitting up, there were times when he was mumbling and saying words, but it was clear that he was not in control of his physical self,” Davis added.
Family lawyer Ben Crump Independent autopsy Nichols testified that they suffered “profuse bleeding from a severe blow.”
The five officers The shooting caused the death of Nicholas — Thadarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct and other offenses. Attorneys for Martin and Mills said their client has pleaded not guilty.
Shelby County Jail
Police say Nichols fled officers after being pulled over for reckless driving – Davis charges He told CNN. Earlier Friday, investigators were unable to confirm.
President Biden spoke with Tyree Nichols’ mother and stepfather on Friday afternoon, the White House said. In a call with Rowvon Wells and Rodney Wells, Mr. Biden expressed his and the first lady’s condolences and “praised the family’s courage and strength,” the White House said.
Mr. Biden said of Nichols’ mother, “She is truly in great pain. “… I told her that I have some idea of what that loss was like, and although it is hard to believe now, there will come a time when his memory will bring smiles before tears.”
In a statement after the video was released, Mr Biden admitted he had seen the “horrific” footage and said he was “angry and deeply saddened” and said the public “should be justifiably outraged”.
Mr. Biden’s statement read: “Those seeking justice must not resort to violence or destruction.” “Violence is absolutely unacceptable; it is illegal and destructive. I join Mr. Nichols’ family in calling for a peaceful demonstration.”
Facebook/Deandre Nichols/via Reuters
Police officials in Memphis and other cities across the country prepared for protests ahead of Friday’s release.
“When people see the kind of things that happened in this incident firsthand, there’s the potential for a much worse public reaction,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. He told “CBS Mornings”. co-host Gayle King on Friday morning.