On Friday, officials in Memphis released video of the violent police arrest. tire nicholsa 29-year-old black man whose death earlier this month resulted in a second degree murder charge Targeted five police officers who were fired over the incident. Nichols died three days after what his family and authorities described as a brutal encounter caused by a traffic jam.
The four videos — posted on the city of Memphis’s Vimeo account shortly before 7 p.m. EST — were captured from police body cameras and street surveillance cameras. They show police first pulling Nichols from a vehicle after pulling him to the curb, Nichols’ initial struggle as he breaks free and flees officers, and then Nichols being killed by five people at a suburban intersection Disturbing images of police restraints and beatings.
The disturbing footage is likely to spark a wave of nationwide outrage and increase calls for police reform. Cities across the country had seen mostly peaceful protests on Friday night.
AP City of Memphis
The video shows Nichols being pepper sprayed from different angles, restrained while being kicked in the head, punched and kicked and hit multiple times with a baton.
First body camera video shows a police officer approaching a car stopped at a red light Nichols drew his gun as another officer forcibly pulled him out and pushed him to the ground. An officer threatened to break his hand if he did not let it go.
Nichols remained relatively calm as officers screamed and tried to stop him.
“Well, I’m on the ground,” he said. “You have worked hard, I just want to go home.”
The officer continued to pin Nichols to the ground when the officer wearing the body camera drew his Taser and aimed it at Nichols’ leg. Another officer pepper-sprayed him shortly after, at which point Nichols appeared to break free and run into the street.
A second video from an overhead street surveillance camera shows officers restraining and beating Nichols at various points in the suburban intersection.
The video, without sound, shows two officers pinning Nichols to the ground before a third officer steps up and kicks Nichols twice. A fourth officer deployed a retractable baton and began beating Nichols, hitting him in the back. Nichols stood up, was grabbed by two officers, stumbled, and another officer punched him in the face several times until Nichols collapsed.
A third video shows body camera footage and audio of the beating after officers detained Nichols at the intersection. Officers wearing cameras repeatedly pepper-sprayed Nichols while he was restrained on the ground.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Nichols screamed, and an officer yelled, “Give me your hand!”
The officer wearing the body camera walked away from Nichols, breathing heavily and appearing to be under the influence of pepper spray. He then approached the officer restraining Nichols and deployed the retractable baton.
“Beware,” he warned the officers. “I’m going to fucking beat you with a baton,” he yelled at Nichols, hitting him three times, punctuating each hit, “give me your hand!” The baton can be heard in the video crackle.
A fourth video shows body camera footage of an officer chasing Nichols through an intersection and knocking him to the ground. At the 1:37 mark, the video is almost completely blurred – the camera appears to be blocked by something. But there was still sound, and Nichols could be heard screaming “Mom!” in the background.
The officers kept yelling, “Give me your hands, lay back, lay back, lie flat.” Nichols gagged and retched, apparently struggling to catch his breath, and one of the officers said, “Breathe, buddy.”
The view is blocked for about four A few minutes later, at some point, the sound of handcuffs clicking.
“Get him up!” said an officer. Police can be seen gathering at the intersection with lights on and Nichols sitting in the street with his back against a gray car and his hands behind him. An officer shone a flashlight in his face several times, and Nichols appeared to be bleeding from the side of his head.
Nichols sat leaning against the car in the dark, barely moving. At some point, paramedics were seen walking up to him and picking him up as he fell to his side. Video footage showed at least a dozen police officers gathered at the intersection, some of whom were describing how they chased and restrained Nichols.
“S***, my knees,” the officer wearing the body camera grumbled. Another officer complained about his leg, which appeared to be limping. “That m******f***** is strong,” one officer said in the video.
“When I saw that boy running, bro, that m******f****** won’t regret it anymore,” one of the officers said. Then another officer said, “Your camera is on.”
Another officer claimed Nichols reached for his gun. When paramedics examined Nichols, he was covered in blood, writhing in pain, moving from side to side, and he was told, “You can’t go anywhere, you can’t go anywhere.”
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 “dismissed.”
Bonner said an “internal investigation” has been launched to determine whether any policies were violated by the representatives. When contacted by CBS News, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department declined to identify the deputies, saying only that they are on paid leave.
CBS News has learned that investigators are still looking for more potential video evidence from surveillance cameras to more definitively determine what sparked the confrontation.
Five former Memphis police officers were part of the department scorpion unit, representing street crime operations to restore peace in our neighborhoods. Crime-fighting SCORPION teams patrol in groups, sometimes using plausible low-level traffic stops as a way to look for violent criminals, drugs or weapons, according to the department.
SCORPION has been “inactive” since Nichols’ arrest, police said, and on Saturday the department comfirmed This device has been “permanently disabled”.
The video was viewed by authorities, Nichols’ family and their attorneys before it was released on Friday.
Nichols’ mother, Row Vaughn Wells She couldn’t bear to watch it in full, she told “CBS Mornings” Tuesday. “I just heard my son say, ‘What did I do?’ I just lost it from there,” she said.
“I’ve never seen the video, but what I’ve heard is horrific, horrific, and any of you who have children, please don’t let them see that,” Wells said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis told NBC News Friday that the video was “shocking, appalling, disappointing, sad.”
“Sometimes he lay down, sometimes he sat up, sometimes he muttered to himself, but it was clear he couldn’t control his body,” Davis added.
Family Attorney Ben Crump independent autopsy says They commissioned to discover Nichols had suffered “profuse bleeding from severe beating”.
five cadres fired over nichols death — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — charged with second-degree murder, aggravated battery, misconduct in public office and other crimes. Attorneys for Martin and Mills said their clients will plead not guilty.
Shelby County Jail
Police had said Nichols fled officers after being pulled over for alleged reckless driving – Davis’ allegation told cnn Investigators could not confirm that earlier Friday.
President Biden spoke with Till Nichols’ mother and stepfather on Friday afternoon, the White House said. On the call with RowVaughn Wells and Rodney Wells, Mr. The White House said Biden conveyed his and the first lady’s condolences and “had commended the courage and strength of this family.”
“She was clearly in great pain,” Mr Cook said. Biden talked about Nichols’ mother. “…I told her I knew something about what it felt like to lose, and while I can’t believe it now, someday his memory will bring smiles instead of tears.”
In a statement after the video was released, Mr. Biden acknowledged that he had seen the “terrible” footage and said it made him “outraged and distressed,” adding that the public should be “rightfully outraged.”
“Those who seek justice should not resort to violence or vandalism,” Mr. Biden’s statement read. “Violence is never acceptable; it is illegal and destructive. I join Mr. Nichols’ family in calling for peaceful protest.”
Facebook/Deandre Nichols/via Reuters
Ahead of Friday’s release, police officials in Memphis and other cities across the country braced for possible protests.
“When people are actually witnessing the various things that happened in this incident, it’s much more likely that the public will react very badly,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. Tell “CBS Mornings” Co-host Gail King on Friday morning.