Public figures and law enforcement officials across the country reacted online to the posting late Friday of police body camera footage showing the violent encounter between Tire Nichols and five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Memphis Police Department released footage from the January 7 traffic stop that preceded the death of 29-year-old Nichols, who spent three days in the hospital before succumbing to his injuries, according to authorities. Five Memphis police officers — Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith — involved in the encounter have been fired and face a range of charges, including second-degree murder.
Officials across the country reacted after the much-anticipated footage was released, prompting law enforcement agencies across the country to prepare for potential protests or riots.
In a statement, President Biden said he spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather on Friday afternoon.
TIRE NICHOLS’ MOTHER URGES PEACEFUL PROTESTS: ‘I DON’T WANT US TO BURN OUR CITIES down’
“Like many, I was outraged and deeply pained to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in the death of Tire Nichols,” he said. “It is another painful reminder of the deep fear and trauma, the pain and exhaustion that black and brown Americans experience every day.”
“Let’s call this video for what it is: murder,” US Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, tweeted.
Freshman US Representative Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., said that “it doesn’t matter what color those cops are. The killing of Tire Nichols is anti-black and the result of white supremacy.”
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Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said the “brutal violence” inflicted on Nichols was “horrific and inhumane.”
“For too long, we have witnessed these senseless acts by those sworn to protect us, and it must stop,” he said in a statement. “This cannot be the America we are fighting for, and we must come together to address it in a meaningful way.”
“The hearts of Virginians and our entire nation ache tonight as we grapple with the horrible events in Memphis and grieve for Tire Nichols and his family,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement after the publication. of the video. “The disturbing and shocking video released tonight shows incomprehensible violence towards another human being and we must condemn these heinous actions.”
“Tyre Nichols should be alive today,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted.
A view from a camera mounted above the intersection where Memphis police caught up with Tire Nichols, who died three days later. Authorities released footage of the deadly encounter between Nichols and police on Friday.
(Memphis Police Department)
Portland, Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler and other city and county leaders said they felt “the effects of this tragedy in our own communities as we all await the results of the pending investigation.”
In a tweet, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, said he was “outraged. And as someone who spent decades fighting for police diversity and against police abuse, I feel betrayed.”
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Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader, said he was “deeply disturbed by the video released today by Memphis police. We were all witnesses to a horrific but perversely familiar act committed by law enforcement officers. Everyone involved They must be arrested and charged with the murder of Tire Nichols. His family and our nation deserve justice.”
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis called the incident “egregious, reckless and inhumane” but also urged calm. In an interview with Fox News Friday shortly before the video’s release, she said she believed it goes beyond the excessive force footage used against Rodney King in 1991 and George Floyd in 2020.
Even among law enforcement, the actions of the five officers have been widely condemned.
“The murder of Tire Nichols at the hands of the five cowardly ex-Memphis cops is sickening and the complete antithesis of how upstanding law enforcement professionals behave every day,” said the union representing Los Angeles police officers. it’s a statement.
RELEASE OF TIRE NICHOLS VIDEO ON FRIDAY NIGHT COULD LEAD TO VIOLENT PROTESTS BY WEEKEND, EXPERTS SAY
This photo provided by the Nichols family shows Tire Nichols, who had a passion for photography and was described by friends as cheerful and adorable. Nichols was just minutes from his home in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 7, 2023, when he was stopped by police and fatally beaten. Since then, five Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes.
(Courtesy of the Nichols family via AP)
New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the video footage showed that “the shameful actions depicted in the posted video are an unequivocal violation of our oath to protect those we serve and a lack of basic human decency.” .
Betsy Branter Smith, a spokeswoman for the National Police Association, said the officers’ actions were not indicative of US law enforcement.
“I just watched the video. NO ONE teaches over-the-shoulder baton strikes, NO ONE teaches head kicks, NO ONE teaches refusal of medical assistance,” he said.
“These men were fighting in the streets, they were not acting like policemen. Instead of a conversation with (CNN host) Don Lemon, the boss really needs to review her hiring and training practices.”
Nichols was a FedEx worker with a 4-year-old son who enjoyed photography and skateboarding, according to her family’s attorney, Ben Crump.
Officials in Memphis and other large cities across the country are expecting demonstrations following the highly anticipated release of police body cam video in connection with the case.
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Speaking at a vigil on Thursday night, Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, urged supporters to protest peacefully.
“When that tape comes out tomorrow, it’s going to be horrible,” he said. “I didn’t see it, but from what I heard, it’s going to be horrible.”
