Tyre Nichols’ Mother Warns About Children Seeing Video
The mother of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man who was killed after being pulled over by Memphis police, has asked people to keep children from watching the video of the confrontation after its release Friday evening. “Any of you who have children, please don’t let them see it,” RowVaughn Wells said during a news conference, NBC News reports. She said that while she hasn’t seen all of violent video, “what I’ve heard is very horrific.” Five police officers—all of whom are Black, as was Nichols—have been fired and face second-degree murder charges.
The city’s chief of police said Friday she’s not sure why officers pulled Nichols over in the first place on Jan. 7. Reckless driving was the reason the department had provided, but Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said an examination of all available video doesn’t support that accusation. “We’ve looked at cameras, we’ve looked at body-worn cameras, even if something occurred prior to this stop,” she said, per CNN, adding, “we’ve been unable to substantiate that.” Davis added, “It doesn’t mean that something didn’t happen, but there is no proof.”
Protests are planned for around the country once the video is released Friday evening, including in Memphis, Philadelphia, Portland, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DC, per NBC. Nichols’ family has joined in the call for the rallies to be peaceful, as has President Biden. But all have acknowledged that the video will prompt renewed outrage over Nichols’ death. Davis said the attack is at least as horrific as the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. “You’re going to see acts that defy humanity,” she said. (Read more Tyre Nichols stories.)
The mother of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man who was killed after being pulled over by Memphis police, has asked people to keep children from watching the video of the confrontation after its release Friday evening. “Any of you who have children, please don’t let them see it,” RowVaughn Wells said during a news conference, NBC News reports. She said that while she hasn’t seen all of violent video, “what I’ve heard is very horrific.” Five police officers—all of whom are Black, as was Nichols—have been fired and face second-degree murder charges.
The city’s chief of police said Friday she’s not sure why officers pulled Nichols over in the first place on Jan. 7. Reckless driving was the reason the department had provided, but Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said an examination of all available video doesn’t support that accusation. “We’ve looked at cameras, we’ve looked at body-worn cameras, even if something occurred prior to this stop,” she said, per CNN, adding, “we’ve been unable to substantiate that.” Davis added, “It doesn’t mean that something didn’t happen, but there is no proof.”
Protests are planned for around the country once the video is released Friday evening, including in Memphis, Philadelphia, Portland, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DC, per NBC. Nichols’ family has joined in the call for the rallies to be peaceful, as has President Biden. But all have acknowledged that the video will prompt renewed outrage over Nichols’ death. Davis said the attack is at least as horrific as the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. “You’re going to see acts that defy humanity,” she said. (Read more Tyre Nichols stories.)
