On Saturday, January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols was severely beaten by five Memphis police officers and later died from the injuries sustained during that beating. While much has been made about the specifics of this incident, it is simply one microcosm of a larger issue of police brutality in our country. From the day you are born black, you are born into an atmosphere of collective injustice and unfairness. You learn early on that your life matters less than another's and that your life can be taken at any time without justification or recourse. Just as the killing of Tyre Nichols is simply one microcosm of a much larger issue of police brutality in America.
Tyre Nichols, was a 29-year-old black man from Memphis, Tennessee. On Saturday, January 7, 2023, he was stopped by police for a traffic violation and fled the scene. The officers chased him in their vehicles until they caught up with him and beat him severely with their batons before handcuffing him. Tyre died three days later from the injuries he sustained during that beating.
While much has been made about the specifics of this incident, it is simply one microcosm of a larger issue of police brutality in our country. An issue that has gone unchecked or mitigated for decades. Police brutality is not just a Memphis problem; it's an American problem. And it's not just an American problem; it's also a global one. The blaring truth that stands out and will likely be spun many times is that all five officers were Black. This will likely be used to rebut the narrative of racism. What has to be understood here is that racism isn't about individual biases, but systematic policies, practices, statutes, laws, and supported behavior.
Police brutality has been going on for decades and continues to do so today in many cities across America as well as around the world.
From the day you are born black, you are born into an atmosphere of collective injustice and unfairness. From your first breaths, you are bombarded with messages that tell you that no matter what you do or how hard you work, society will never see or treat you as an equal. It is these inherent challenges that contributed to Tyre's distrust of the government, economic system, and police. Tyre understood that a simple traffic stop for a Black man can easily become a death sentence without a trial or jury.
The killing of Tyre Nichols is simply a microcosm of a much larger issue: America's systemic racism toward black people. When we talk about systemic racism in America today, most people think only about police brutality--and while police brutality is certainly part of our nation's history (and present), there are other forms of discrimination against African Americans that go unnoticed because they don't involve guns or tasers but instead rely on institutionalized policies such as housing segregation and unequal access to education opportunities.
As a young Black male, you learn early on that your life matters less than another's and that your life can be taken at any time without justification or recourse.
You are a threat to the police, even if you are unarmed and running away from them because they think they see something in your hand--or maybe it's just because they're bored and want to shoot someone for fun? In many cases, the officer will be white; but we know from recent events such as Philando Castile (who was also shot by a cop during an unnecessary stop), Tamir Rice (who was playing with an airsoft gun) and Walter Scott (who ran away from an officer who pulled him over), among others, that race does not matter when it comes to police brutality against Black people in America.
Just as the killing of Tyre Nichols is an expansion of a brutal narrative of police brutality in America, so too is the killing of Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, and so many others before them. The lack of accountability for law enforcement officers who abuse their power and kill innocent people has become an epidemic in this country. We have seen countless examples where police have beaten up or killed an unarmed person who was simply doing something they shouldn't have been doing (like walking away from an officer). And then we see these same officers walk free despite clear evidence that they committed crimes against humanity. This cycle has to stop!
The fact is if you were born black in America, you are more likely to get killed by law enforcement than if you were white.
According to one statistics estimation, Black men are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police during their lifetime. This is interesting being that police officers are more likely to be killed by White men.
Since 2017, the number of people shot to death by police has increased each year. While more White men were killed, the percentage of Black men killed based on the number of encounters suggests that Black men are significantly more likely to be killed by police. What is more astonishing is the disparity in numbers is even more blaring when it comes to unarmed individuals.
With that being said, it is immensely important to understand that we must be able to develop a lucid perspicacity of the complete dynamic at play here. The fact that there is a high rate of violence in the inner-city black neighborhoods, in which blacks are slaughtering blacks is a distinctly different dynamic than that of white police officers randomly slaying our young black men. With this understanding, it is important to engage these issues from different platforms and perspectives.
The first thing that we must completely destroy is the ridiculous paradigm that functions under the belief that blacks killing blacks somehow relieves white police officers from any culpability for what has become a systematic assault on young black males, and females for that matter. As the photo states, this fallible reasoning is not used in any other group, and it is clear that no other group suffers from external assault as much as blacks. The fact that there is an internal issue in black America, does not afford the right to any other group to impose its will of violence upon us. That is absolutely unacceptable.
It is the responsibility of the Black community to insulate the people within the community. We should know by now that the system will not protect us, especially from itself. We must develop strategies and agendas that strengthen and insulate our communities. We need to effectively socialize young Black men to be able to successfully navigate the labyrinthine corridors of a racial caste society that does not consider our young men worthy of the same rights as others.
Finally, we must come to the understanding that all of this is symptomatic. We have some colossal issues that must be addressed before we can completely eliminate these symptoms. We must address the poverty issue. A collective economy through black group economics practiced vertically is essential. A change in paradigms as far as how we view material possessions is also necessary. An emphasis on ownership is vital.
The taking of a black life is unacceptable, regardless of who does it, but we cannot dilute the waters by failing to understand the difference in motive and design. We must fight both battles with equal passion. If black lives really matter, then the taking of Black life must be met with a ferocious response, regardless of who is responsible for taking the life.
Dr. Rick Wallace, Ph.D.
What might be the saddest update of all is the emerging story that Nichols was dating the ex of Demetrius Haley, one of the officers who beat Nichols to death. It is alleged that Haley took a picture of Nichols lying on the ground after the beating and sent it to his ex, who is also the mother of his child. If this turns out to be true, lives have been destroyed and ruined over jealousy. A young Black man has lost his life, leaving a young child and grieving mother behind because of raw jealousy.
Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence.
An initial police report filed in the hours after the Tyre Nichols traffic stop suggested he was violent and made claims that were contradicted by video later released by police.
Nichols was subdued on the ground yet continuously beaten after the stop by Memphis police on January 7. He died three days later.
The initial police report said Nichols “started to fight” with officers and at one point grabbed one of their guns. But neither claim was substantiated by police videos released last week.
And despite the fact that the videos don’t appear to show Nichols fighting back, the report identified Nichols as a suspect in an aggravated assault.
The police report did not mention the officers punching and kicking Nichols.
One of the officers at the scene – who has since been charged with second-degree murder – was described in the report as a “victim.”
The report also claimed Nichols, who was Black, was pulled over for reckless driving at a high speed – another claim that is not substantiated by video of the encounter.
While authorities have not released the police report, a photo of a police report was posted by a controversial Memphis radio talk show host. The police report account was first reported by The New York Times.
Shelby County District Attorney spokesperson Erica Williams told CNN “the DA does have a report that has that same account of events.”
The report said Nichols was irate and sweating profusely when he got out of his vehicle and refused lawful detention by law enforcement. The use of pepper spray and a Taser stun gun had no effect on Nichols, the report stated.
The report also listed E. Martin as a “victim.” One of the five officers charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death is Emmitt Martin III.
CNN’s calls to Memphis police have not been returned.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office refused to comment on the statements in the police report or the sheriff department’s role in it.
“The release of reports in connection with the investigation is unauthorized and the Sheriff’s Office cannot comment,” spokesperson John Morris told CNN.
While the report doesn’t reflect what is shown on the police body cam footage and Skycop street camera footage of the encounter. it does seem to reflect what the officers were discussing after Nichols was subdued and handcuffed by police the night of the incident.
CNN has previously reported that the initial public statement from police was also contradicted by the videos.
For the first time since Nichols was fatally beaten, his brother Jamal Dupree is speaking publicly about the horror and anguish his family lives with every day.
“It’s like a never-ending nightmare,” Dupree told “CNN This Morning” on Tuesday.
Dupree has not watched the video of his 29-year-old brother getting beaten with a baton and kicked in the head. He said he doesn’t need to see it.
“As soon as I seen them photos from him in the hospital, I already knew that they treated my brother like an animal,” Dupree said. “They beat on him like he was nothing. I don’t have to watch the video to know that.”
After public outrage over the gruesome video, officials have announced more firings or disciplinary action against public servants at the scene.
In addition to the firings of five Black Memphis police officers – all of whom face murder charges – officials have announced the firings of three Memphis Fire Department personnel.
Two sheriff’s deputies have been put on leave. And the police department acknowledged Monday that two more police officers had been put on leave.
“We are looking at everybody who had any kind of involvement in this incident,” from the officers and paramedics on scene to those who filed the paperwork, Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy said Monday.
Prosecutors moved “extraordinarily quick” with charges against the five officers “primarily responsible for the death of Tyre Nichols,” the prosecutor said. “As to everybody else, it’s going to take some time as we do that investigation. But I assure you the investigation’s ongoing.”
The release of grisly footage of the attack on Nichols again horrified a nation that’s faced a steady stream of videos of police violence, especially against people of color.
The deadly encounter started with police pulling Nichols over for what they initially said was suspected reckless driving and unfolds at two locations.
Video released Friday shows Nichols running away after officers yanked him out of a car and used pepper spray and a Taser to try to make him lie prone; and then officers catching up to him at a second location, where he is repeatedly kicked and beaten.
After his hands are restrained and he’s left slumped to the ground, roughly 23 minutes pass before a gurney arrives at the scene. Nichols died at a hospital of his injuries three days later, authorities said.
Dupree said he felt it was his duty to protect his little brother. Now, he says he’s racked with guilt because he couldn’t save him.
“My brother was trying to cooperate with them,” Dupree said.
“If I was there, they would have had to kill me, too. Because I would have fought all of them.”
He said he wants everyone to remember how much joy Nichols brought to the world.
“My brother’s legacy is everywhere right now. Everybody knows that my brother was an innocent person. … He cared about people. He put people before he put himself. He was very selfless. He was just, all-around, a great person to be around,” Dupree said.
“It should never happen to anybody, but at the same time, when you see a person like that, and you know a person like that, it just takes a toll. … The world is going to miss a person like that.”
Five Memphis police officers were fired January 20 and then indicted last week. They face seven counts, including: second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated kidnapping in possession of a deadly weapon, official misconduct and official oppression.
The five officers – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr. – are expected to be arraigned February 17.
Martin’s attorney, William Massey, said “no one out there that night intended for Tyre Nichols to die.”
Mills’ attorney, Blake Ballin, said Mills arrived later than other officers and his vision was impaired by the pepper spray used during the traffic stop.
“Some of the questions that remain will require a focus on Desmond Mills’ individual actions,” and “on whether Desmond’s actions crossed the lines that were crossed by other officers during this incident,” Ballin said.
Attorneys for the other former officers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Monday, police said a sixth and a seventh officer were placed on leave with the other five on January 8 – and those two officers still are the subjects of an internal investigation.
Police identified one of the two officers as Preston Hemphill, who is White. Police spokesperson Kimberly Elder declined to say whether Hemphill is being paid.
The city has released body-camera and pole-camera surveillance footage of the initial traffic stop, as well as the beating at the second site. One of the body-cam videos reveals Hemphill – at the site of the initial traffic stop – fired a Taser at Nichols and eventually said after Nichols ran: “One of them prongs hit the bastard.”
Hemphill twice says to an officer who was with him: “I hope they stomp his ass.”
That body-cam video does not show Hemphill at the second site, where the county’s district attorney has said Nichols was beaten and suffered his serious injuries.
Hemphill’s attorney, Lee Gerald, said his client – who hasn’t been charged – “was never present at the second scene.”
The seventh officer has not been publicly identified.
“Officer Preston Hemphill and other officer’s actions and inactions have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation,” Memphis police said Monday.
“There are numerous charges still developing that are impending.”
The Memphis Fire Department announced three employees were fired over their response to the incident.
Emergency medical technicians Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge and Lt. Michelle Whitaker have been terminated, the fire department said Monday.
The three were responding to a report of “a person pepper sprayed” when they arrived at the scene of the deadly beating and found Nichols on the ground, the fire department said.
The department’s investigation found that “the two EMTs responded based on the initial nature of the call and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” the fire chief said.
Whitaker had remained in the fire truck, the department said.
Pole-camera video released Friday showed that after the EMTs arrived and before the ambulance arrived, first responders repeatedly walked away from Nichols, with Nichols intermittently falling onto his side.
Additionally, two deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office were put on leave last week pending an investigation, after video of the incident was released.
“I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols,” Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said Friday.
After the fire department firings were announced Monday, an attorney for Tyre Nichols’ family, Antonio Romanucci said, “everybody on that scene was complicit in this man’s death, in one way, shape, form, or another, somebody failed Tyre Nichols.”
“They either failed by using excessive force; they failed him by severely beating him; they failed him by not intervening; they failed him by not rendering aid,” the attorney said Monday.
He said Nichols’ family still is trying to absorb the breadth of this multi-agency investigation, while also dealing with the loss of their loved one.
“This is just such a gross collapse of the system that we are supposed to trust that it really is unspeakable,” Romanucci said.
A Memphis city council member said much more work needs to be done.
“We need to make sure that we go through our police department and see where we were weak, what happened with our procedures, what happened with our oversight,” council member Jeff Warren said.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the end of it. And I think we’re going to find there’s more to this as we go into the trial,” he said. “I don’t think we’re on top of this yet.”
