U.S man ‘murdered’ by cops: A timeline of what happened
2 min read . Updated: 28 Jan 2023, 09:28 AM IST
Premium- A timeline of events when a 29-year-old black, Tyre Nichols, tortured and murdered by 5 police officers in city of Memphis.
US has been on the edge for last 24 hours after city of Memphis released videos when police traffic stop and beat up Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man. Five police officers have been fired and charged with second-degree murder in his death.
Here is a timeline of events.
Jan. 7: Officers pull over Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving around 8:30 p.m. Police said in a statement that a confrontation ensued, Nichols fled on foot, was pursued by officers and another confrontation occurred. Afterward, Nichols "complained of having a shortness of breath," the statement said. An ambulance was called and Nichols taken to hospital.
Jan. 8: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy requests the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to conduct a use-of-force investigation surrounding the arrest, the bureau announced less than 24 hours after the incident. Memphis is in Shelby County.
Jan. 10: Nichols "succumbed to his injuries," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
Jan. 14: Nichols' family holds a memorial event at which they display a photograph of Nichols that shows him intubated and his face badly beaten, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported. A subsequent protest takes place at a police precinct.
Jan. 16: The family retains civil rights attorney Ben Crump, known for representing families in some of the United States' most fraught cases including those of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd. Crump immediately calls for the release of video from the Nichols encounter captured by police body and vehicle dashboard cameras.
Jan. 20: The Memphis Police Department fires the five officers involved.
Jan. 23: Crump and Nichols' family view the police video. Crump later says it reminded him of the video of the beating of Rodney King.
Jan. 24: The city of Memphis announced two fire fighters involved in the incident were relieved of duty pending an internal investigation.
Jan. 25: Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis releases a video statement calling the treatment of Nichols "failing of basic humanity."
Jan. 26: The five officers are charged with second-degree murder.
Jan. 27: Police video of the incident is released to the public where officers could be seen pepper-spraying, punching and kicking Nichols, and striking him with a baton. At one point, Nichols, 29, cries: “Mom! Mom!" After the beating, several officers stood around talking while he lay motionless on the ground.
Jan 27: President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he was “outraged and deeply pained" after watching video released Friday night of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers in Memphis, Tennessee. “It is yet another painful reminder of the profound fear and trauma, the pain, and the exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every single day," Biden said in a statement.
Jan 27: Protests broke in Memphis, citizens and police unions condemned the cops after the public release of video showing five officers savagely beating Tyre Nichols, who later died. Protesters gathered in a park near the White House, in Memphis and other cities as the video was released. In Memphis, protesters chanted: “Say his name! Tyre Nichols!" and several dozen protesters blocked a heavily traveled bridge on Interstate 55 that is one of two main spans connecting Arkansas and Tennessee over the Mississippi River.
