“Like many others, I was outraged and deeply saddened to see the horrific video footage of the beating that resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols,” Biden said in a statement. The president added that the Nichols family deserved a prompt, full and transparent investigation.
Speaking on January 27 at the White House, Joe Biden said he was “very concerned” about the potential for violence following the release of the video. He said he had already spoken to Nichols’ mother and would approach Congress with a proposal to pass legislation to address police brutality.
The beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black FedEx employee, occurred in early January when police stopped his car on suspicion of reckless driving. Nichols died of his injuries three days later.
The officers, all also black, were charged on January 26 with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and official harassment. All officers have been fired from the force.
The video was released the day after the charges were filed. In the footage, officers can be seen brutally beating Nichols for three minutes after stopping his car. Two are seen holding Nichols while the others kick him, constantly shouting obscenities. At least one of the police used a truncheon. In another multi-camera sequence, over an hour in total, Nichols can be heard calling out for his mother.
Nichols’ mother, Rowan Wells, called for any protests to remain peaceful: ‘I don’t want us to burn down our town, tear up the streets, because that’s not what my son was aiming for,’ she said. she said in an interview afterwards. post the pictures.
At a Jan. 27 news conference at a Memphis church, Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, said the family was pleased with the progress of the legal investigation. “We want peace. We don’t want noise. We don’t want riots. We want a peaceful protest,” he said. “The family is happy with the way the police chief, the district attorney is investigating.” The family’s attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, also expressed satisfaction with the district attorney’s quick action.
According to Romanucci, officers served in the Scorpion Unit to combat street crime and maintain order in residential areas (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods; SCORPION). According to him, these units sometimes operate with an excessive use of force compared to the ordinary police. He appealed to the Memphis Police Department to disband the unit.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) said: “The death of Tyre Nichols is deeply disturbing and the images are painful. The behavior of the police was inhumane and unjustifiable. The association backed Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, who decided to immediately fire the officers.
However, Memphis and some other US cities are bracing for possible protests following the release of the video. Civil protests took place in Memphis on the evening of Jan. 27, when several dozen protesters blocked a bridge over the 55 Freeway. Protesters also gathered for rallies in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and Portland. In Washington, dozens of protesters gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House and not far from Black Lives Matter Plaza. No acts of violence were reported.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington on Jan. 27, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau had warned all of its field offices to cooperate with state law enforcement “at in case the situation gets out of control”. Ray added that he was shocked by the video footage that was released: “I’m having a hard time finding words, but I’ll just say I was shocked,” he said.
“I want to reiterate what the family of the deceased said and call on everyone who watched the video to protest peacefully and without violence,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference. “That’s exactly what the family is insisting on and what the Department of Justice is asking for.”
