Tyr Nichols, a young African-American who was beaten to death during his arrest, has become the new face of police violence in the United States. Infuriating video of his arrest ignites Memphis in the throes of demonstrations. The US President himself has reacted to these pictures.
Images of extreme violence. A video of the arrest was released by Memphis police on Friday, January 27, and five officers have been charged with willful homicide and assault.
“I did not do anything”
Tyr Nichols was arrested on January 7 for a traffic violation. The footage shows officers tare Nichols exiting his vehicle. Then we can hear the young man shouting: “I haven’t done anything, I’m just trying to get home.” The police then make him lie on the ground before spraying him with pepper spray.
Tyr Nichols then manages to escape and tries to escape, with the police on his heels. In another video (warning, shocking images) aired by NewsChannel 5 on Youtube, we see police apprehend the youth, before three of them stab him while two others immobilize him.
joe biden response
Tyr Nichols died in hospital three days after his arrest. In a statement, Joe Biden said, “I am extremely outraged and saddened after seeing the horrific video of the beating of Tyra Nichols.”
The police officers who arrested Tyr Nichols, all African-Americans, were fired last Saturday and an internal investigation launched, specifically for excessive force.
