The Memphis police department closed this Saturday (28) the activities of the unit responsible for the death of Tire Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who died after being beaten on January 7 in Memphis, USA. The case has generated several protests in the country against racism and police violence.
In a statement, the corporation said it decided to permanently disable the specialized unit after the police chief spoke with members of Nichols’s family, community leaders and other officers.
The unit was formed in 2021 to fight street crimes. Critics, however, say the team was prone to abusive approaches.
Footage from police body cameras and a camera mounted on a pole show Nichols calling out for his mother as officers kicked, punched and beat him with a nightstick.
The attacks took place in the neighborhood where the young man’s mother lives after he was approached in his car. Nichols was hospitalized and died three days later.
The videos were released on Friday (27) and sparked protests across the country, leading several cities to prepare for other demonstrations throughout this Saturday. The protests so far have been peaceful.
US President Joe Biden expressed outrage and said he was “deeply hurt” to see the recordings that recorded the attacks. The Democrat described the police officers’ conduct as outrageous.
“Like many, I was outraged and deeply saddened to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in the death of Nichols,” said Biden, in a statement, in which he again demanded Congress pass the law named after George Floyd, which provides a series of police reforms and stalled in the Senate.
Five police officers involved in the beating, all black, were indicted on Thursday (26) for murder, assault, kidnapping and other crimes. All were fired from the department.
This Saturday, demonstrators chanted slogans against police brutality. When they learned of the dissolution of the police unit, they chanted slogans as a sign of celebration.
The four videos released show police beating Nichols, although he does not appear to pose a threat. Initially, he was reportedly pulled over for reckless driving. Despite this, the chief of police said that the cause of the approach has not been proven.
Friends and family say Nichols was an accomplished skateboarder who grew up in Sacramento, Calif., and moved to Memphis before the pandemic hit. Father of a 4-year-old, he worked at FedEx and was enrolled in a photography course.
“He liked what he liked and went about his life at his own pace,” said Nate Spates Jr., 42, a friend of Nichols. He remembers the young man going to a park to watch the sunset when he wasn’t working the night shift.
Nichols’s death is being compared to the 2020 murder of George Floyd. He was also a black man who died after a white Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes. The incident sparked worldwide protests against racism and police brutality.
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