Tyre Nichols body cam footage released

WASHINGTON — Authorities released video showing five Memphis police officers beating a Black man to death; The beating has led to five officers being charged with murder and sparked outrage over the latest case of police brutality in the United States.

Family members of Tire Nichols and their attorney, who viewed the footage before it was made public, said the footage shows police brutally beating the 29-year-old FedEx employee for three minutes during the day. an assault that the legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles driver Rodney King.

The City of Memphis posted the video on Friday to its Vimeo page. There are four video clips containing over an hour of footage. Editor’s Note: The footage is extremely graphic. Watch carefully.

Footage shows police brutally beating Nichols for three minutes.

After the first officer roughly pulled Nichols out of the car, Nichols could be heard saying, “I didn’t do anything,” as a group of officers began to wrestle him to the ground.

“Lie on the ground!” shouted one officer, when another was heard shouting “Chase him! Chase him!”

Nichols calmly replied shortly after being flung onto the sidewalk, “OK, I’m on the ground.” Moments later, as the officers continued to shout, Nichols said, “Dude, I’m on the ground.”

An officer shouted, “Put your hands behind your back before I break your (vulgar).” Moments later, an officer shouted, “(Expletive), put his hands behind his back before I break them.”

“You guys are really doing a lot right now,” Nichols said aloud to the officers. “I was just trying to get home.”

“Stop, I didn’t do anything,” he yelled right after.

The camera was briefly obscured, and then Nichols could be seen running when an officer fired a Taser at him. The officers then began to chase Nichols.

Other officers were called in and a search took place before Nichols was arrested at another intersection. The officers beat him again, this time with batons, kicking and punching him.

Security camera footage shows three officers surrounding Nichols as he lies on the street cornered between police cars, with a fourth officer nearby.

Two officers held Nichols to the ground as he moved, and then a third appeared to kick him in the head. Nichols fell to the pavement with all three officers surrounding him. That policeman kicked him again.

Then the fourth officer stepped forward, opened his baton and raised it to shoulder height as the two officers held Nichols upright, as if he were sitting.

An officer can be heard saying: “I will beat you. Cameras on him show him raising a baton while at least one other officer holds Nichols. The officer hit Nichols in the back with a baton. He attacked him again, and then a third time.

Other officers then appeared to lift Nichols to his feet, causing him to flop down like a doll, barely able to stand despite his bracing arms.

An officer then punched him in the face, as the baton-wielding officer continued to threaten him. Nichols staggered and turned, still held by two officers. The officer who punched him then went around in front of Nichols and punched him three more times. Then Nichols collapsed.

The two officers can then be seen atop Nichols on the ground, with a third nearby, for about 40 seconds. Then three other officers ran up and could see one kicking Nichols to the ground.

At one point, as Nichols collapsed into a car and no police were available to assist, side-camera footage showed a first-person view of one of them bending over and tying his shoelaces.

It took more than 20 minutes after Nichols was beaten and lying on the sidewalk before any form of medical attention was provided to him, although two fire department officers arrived at the scene with medical equipment. within 10 minutes.

The Nichols family’s legal team likened the attack to the infamous police beating of car driver Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1991.

The officers involved in the deadly incident, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other counts in the killing of Nichols, who died three days after the confrontation with officers during a stop on January 7.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told a news conference that although each officer played a different role in the murder, “they all had to be held accountable.”

Nichols’ family members begged all protests to remain peaceful.

While appearing on “Good Morning America,” Nichols family members, including his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said the officers had brought shame to their families and the Black community.

She also talked about her son, who she said has Crohn’s disease, and said she suddenly felt sick to her stomach at the same time officers were beating Nichols.

Editor’s Note: The following police video is extremely graphic. Viewers should be cautious.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.