Police footage of the traffic stop that resulted in the violent acts against Tyre Nichols was released by the city of Memphis on Friday evening. The four videos released by the city of Memphis show what happened when Nichols was stopped on Jan. 7 by Memphis police officers on suspicion of reckless driving.
“We're talking about human beings,” said activist Jamaica Miles, co-founder of the Schenectady grassroots organization All of Us. “This was a traffic stop. And it's not uncommon for our localities to have abuse of power.”
Police-worn body cams and a camera mounted on a nearby utility pole recorded on video and audio officers kicking, hitting and shouting expletives at Nichols.
“What has happened to this young man in Memphis is not just about the young man in Memphis,” Miles said. “It is about what's happening locally in states across the nation.”
The five officers were fired for misconduct, charged and indicted by a grand jury this past Thursday. Activists say incidents like these are far too common in the African American community and holding those accountable is a necessary step toward change.
“How do we get those in control, those with power to understand, that Black communities are suffering from this police brutality situation is that, it happens all the time,” said Dr. Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice. “It's not an unusual case, but this one has gotten a lot of publicity. But it happens all the time. We lose so many people to police brutality.”
Nichols, 29, was hospitalized and died three days after Memphis police officers stopped him. Law enforcement and attorneys for Nichols' family described the videos as "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable."
On Saturday, the Memphis police chief disbanded the city's so-called Scorpion unit. All five of the former officers involved in the arrest of Nichols were members of the group. The unit was tasked with tackling rising crime in the city, but was previously inactivated during a review of all special units.