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‘It was TORTURE then murder’: Outrage as bodycam video shows cops mercilessly beating Tyre Nichols

All five cops accused of Tyre Nichols' murder were released from the Shelby County Jail on Friday after posting bond ranging from $250,000 to $350,000

Warning: Extreme graphic content, readers’ discretion advised

MEMPHIS, TENNESSE: With the release of the violent bodycam footage of five cops violently beating 29-year-old Black FedEx driver Tyre Nichols at the traffic stop, chaos has broken out. With all the controversy surrounding his horrific death and public outrage, the Memphis Police Department was forced to release the bodycam footage on Friday, January 27. The people’s anger erupted as Nichols died of his injuries just days after an altercation on January 7 with the five ex-police officers who are now facing murder charges.

Charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression are brought against all five of the cops. On Thursday, January 26, Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., and Emmitt Martin III were all jailed. They were all sacked last week after joining the Memphis Police Department within the last six years.

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Why was Tyre Nichols stopped by Memphis police?

On January 7, Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx employee and young dad was stopped for allegedly driving recklessly while returning home. The next day, Memphis police released a statement in which they claimed that Nichols fled as they approached the vehicle and that "a confrontation occurred" when they caught up to him and "another confrontation occurred" while arresting him. What happened during the arrest wasn’t clarified at the time. The department then claims that Nichols complained of having trouble breathing and was sent to the hospital, where he died three days later.

Now, four videos in all showing the complete series of events were provided by the authorities. The graphic footage is something few people can stomach. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J Davis called the act "heinous, reckless, and inhumane" before it was made public. However, she also asked residents not to retaliate violently in the wake of the video, Media ITE reported.

What do the bodycam videos show?

In the video, Nichols, who had no prior encounters with the police, insists he "didn't do anything," but as the five black policemen try to apprehend him, they are unsuccessful in handcuffing him, and he flees, which results in a second incident in which they beat and taser him.

The opening scenes of the video show Nichols being stopped by armed police. He is removed from his car and instructed to get to the ground. Following this one can hear Nichols complying as he bends down to the ground as a cop is heard berating him: “I’ll break your s–t, try to f–k around. Nichols is heard defending himself as he says: “You guys are really doing a lot right now. I’m just trying to go home.” The officers are then seen releasing Nichols from their control, spraying him with pepper spray, and using a taser and baton on him before he flees down the street.

As the cops pursue Nichols, one of them can be seen on bodycam sprinting to the scene and lunging at Nichols who then falls to the ground. He is immediately assaulted by additional officers, who also tase him. They also use a stun gun on him. As the officers beat him down and detain him, he is heard repeatedly yelling for his mother. Then, the officer's camera vision is obscured. The police shout at Nichols while he is shouting, ordering him to "give me your hands" and "give me your f-ing" hands, then "lay back," as reported by The New York Post.

The videos also captured Nichols’ pleas as the officers punched and pummelled him in the face, all the while shouting obscenities at him. A bruised and battered Nichols is then seen at the back of the car while the cops discuss the arrest as Nichols slumps to the ground.

Tyre's parents' reaction to the video

Just days after the videos were discreetly shown to Nichols' family and legal team, the upsetting video was made public. The family and legal team compared the man's beating to the one Rodney King had at the hands of Los Angeles police officers in 1991. RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Nichols, was shown the video before it was publicly released. She claimed she was unable to watch the entire thing, “but what I’ve heard it's very horrific, very horrific, and any of you that have children, please don’t let them see it,” she said. “All I heard my son say was, ‘What did I do?’ I just lost it from there,’’ she told CNN News in an interview. Wells also recalled how she heard her son in the video “cried out for me’’ while he was “beat like a piñata.”

In addition, his family urged the people to participate in peaceful protests when the footage was made public on CNN on Friday, January 27. During a press conference on Friday afternoon, stepfather Rodney Wells said, “We want peaceful protests. That’s what the family wants. That’s what the community wants," as reported by MSN.

President Joe Biden supported and joined the family's request for peaceful demonstrations: “Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable,” he said in a written statement. “Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice.”

What is the fate of the 5 jailed officers involved?

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith, five black cops, were charged with Nichols' murder and turned themselves in to authorities on Thursday, January 26. In addition to second-degree murder, they are accused of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. After posting bonds ranging from $250,000 to $350,000 for each of the five, they were all released from the Shelby County Jail early on Friday, January 27.

An internal inquiry determined that they overused force and disregarded their obligations to assist in and provide assistance, they were sacked from the department last Friday, January 20. Chief Davis stated in a video statement on Wednesday, January 25, that the five officers "were found to be directly responsible" for Nichols' death. She said: “This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity towards another individual.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee added that the beating was “cruel” and said, “Criminal abuse of power will not be tolerated in the state of Tennessee.”

The video had people on social media incensed as one said:  "Those cops deserve everything that’s coming to them." Another tweeted, "IT WAS TORTURE THEN MURDER...MAX TIME IN JAIL." A third chimed in, "The officer that kicked Tyre Nichols in the head should face a long term in prison. I still wonder if all of this could have been avoided if there had been no resisting arrest by Tyre." A fourth said, "Those officers should suffer the same beating and consequences. They are irredeemable."

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