Tyre Nichols cries ‘Mom!’: Here are 10 things new police-beating videos reveal
2 min read . Updated: 28 Jan 2023, 09:28 AM IST
PremiumFive police officers have been charged with second-degree murder of Tyre Nichols.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was fatally beaten by police, according to horrific video evidence released by the Memphis Police in the US on January 27. On January 10, three days after being pulled over on suspicion of driving recklessly, Nichols passed away in the hospital. In connection with Nichols' beating, five Memphis police officers—all of whom are Black—were charged with second-degree murder.
As authorities released videos that show the police officers beating Nichols, here are 10 things that the series of footage reveals.
- No video that has been made public reveals the reason why police stopped Nichols’ vehicle. A minute after being stopped, Nichols can hear officers shouting threats and profanities at him and demanding for him to get out of the car. The 29-year-old declares, "I didn't do anything!"
- The police then push Nichols to the ground despite his pleas of innocence. They tell him to get on his stomach and lie flat, and you can hear one of the officers threaten to break his arms.
- Nichols appears to engage the officers in a struggle before escaping on foot. The police try to stop him by using tasers and pepper spray, but they are unsuccessful.
Watch: Kicks, punches and cries of 'Mom!': US cops charged with murder again
- In one video, Nichols can be seen screaming "I am just trying to go home" as police take him away from the wheel of his vehicle.. The police then tell him to lie on his stomach and force him to the ground before using pepper spray.
- Another video of Nichols calling out for his mother and wailing as officers kick and strike him repeatedly lasts for almost an hour in total and is partially audio-only.
- Nichols occasionally screams, "Mom!" He lay motionless on the ground after the pounding as numerous officers stood around and chatted.
- The officers can be seen striking Nichols in the face with several kicks in one highly-graphic video. They pick him up and then punch his face five times. They kick him twice more in the face after he hits the ground.
Also Read: US man ‘murdered’ by cops: A timeline of what happened
- A third officer can be seen approaching him and kicking him twice in the head as two officers are attempting to detain him. A fourth cop smacks Nichols repeatedly with an expandable baton. Several officers punch him.
- NIchols now appears to be stumbling, offering little resistance. He seems to be lying down and writhing on the ground. He is no longer being struck by police at this moment.
- Then, Nichols is taken to one of the unmarked police cars and placed leaning against the door. It is uncertain if he is still responsive as police officers focus their torches on him.
