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Tyre Nichols Family Holds Press Conference

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

 

 

The body camera footage from Tyre Nichols’ horrific arrest video has finally been released to the public. 

The video, which was released on the city of Memphis’ Vimeo account, comes just a day after five Memphis police officers responsible for the beating death of the 29-year-old were charged with second-degree murder.

If you would like to watch the videos click here. The videos contain graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Ahead of the release, Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells gave an emotional speech at a news conference Friday, where she said she was still processing the tragic death of her son.

“I still haven’t had time to grieve yet. I’m still dealing with the death of my son. This was not supposed to happen. My son was supposed to be with me today,” she said, according to CNN. “My son loved me to death and I loved him to death…this is very difficult for me.”

Wells said no mother should have to experience the type of pain she’s currently “going through right now.”

She also cautioned parents, telling them not to let their children watch the startling video.

“I’ve never seen the video, but what I’ve heard it’s very horrific, very horrific,” she said. “And any of you who have children, please don’t let them see it.”

Tyre Nichols’ stepfather describes what he saw in the horrific video

Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10 after he was hospitalized following a violent arrest by Memphis Police. Sources say Nichols was pulled over Jan. 7 for reckless driving. The incident occurred after five Black officers from the department walked over to his vehicle and asked him to step out of the car.

Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, described what he saw in the troubling video to CNN.

“He said, ‘What did I do? Why are y’all doing this to me? What did I do?’ and they proceeded to snatch him out of the car and was trying to wrestle him to the ground. And he got scared. So he was athletic enough to get out of (that) situation and run, and he was trying to run home, because he was three blocks from the house when they stopped him,” said Rodney.

According to Wells, the officers hit Nichols with a stick and then kicked him.

“One officer kicked him like he was kicking a football, a couple of times,” he said, adding that there were “maybe 10 officers on the scene,” — none tried to help Nichols after he’d been beaten and propped up against a car.

“No one rendered aid to him whatsoever. They walked around, smoking cigarettes like it was all calm and like, you know, bragging about what happened,” Rodney said. “He was sitting there, and then he slumped over. And an officer walked over to him and said, ‘sit back up mother – mf,’ while he’s handcuffed. So, he had to – they prop him back up, and he slumped over again, and they prop him back up again, but no one was rendering aid.”

When officers notified the Wells family about Tyre’s arrest, they claimed he was arrested for a DUI, pepper sprayed and tased, but doctors said the 29-year-old’s gruesome injuries were not consistent with their story.

Family attorney Ben Crump described the video as “appalling,” “deplorable” and “heinous.” He even compared the incident to the vicious 1991 arrest of Rodney King.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said that the video would be released on YouTube in four parts. Officials worry that protests may erupt following the release of the footage.

On Jan. 26, all five officers involved in the arrest were charged with murder and kidnapping. Color of Change president Rashad Robinson tweeted that the charges were a step in the right direction, but more needed to be done.

“Last night, five officers involved in the murder of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, TN were charged with murder. Let’s be clear, while the mass movement of people demanding some level of accountability has succeeded in this one instance, convictions aren’t the goal,” he wrote.

“WE WANT AN END TO POLICE MURDERS OF BLACK PEOPLE. So, this moment isn’t about Black vs. white, it’s about blue vs. Black,” he added in a follow-up tweet. ” Diversity cannot, and does not solve systemic problems. “If we don’t change the structure of policing and safety in our country, Black people will continue to be killed, by police of all races.”

SEE ALSO:

Justice For Tyre Nichols: 5 Memphis Cops Charged With Murder In Black Man’s Beating Death

Tyre Nichols Autopsy Results Confirm ‘Severe Beating’ By Memphis Police, Attorneys Say

The post Tyre Nichols’ Brutal Arrest Video Released, His Mother Doesn’t Want Children To Watch appeared first on NewsOne.

Tyre Nichols’ Brutal Arrest Video Released, His Mother Doesn’t Want Children To Watch  was originally published on newsone.com