Five former Memphis police officers have been charged with murder in the death of an unarmed motorist, with the lawyer for the victim’s family saying the three-minute bodycam recording is reminiscent of the infamous video of Rodney King’s beating on the side of a Los Angeles highway. The defendants and the victim are all Black. According to Reuters, the graphic video will be released to the public tomorrow.
Police pulled 29-year-old Tyre Nichols over January 7th, during which time Nichols stepped out of the car. For some reason, the interaction caused Nichols to try to flee on foot, with officers in pursuit. Prosecutors have not gotten specific about what specifically happened next, saying only “There was another altercation at a nearby location at which the serious injuries were experienced by Mr. Nichols.”