U.S
Officials Urge Public to Remain ‘Peaceful’ With Release of ‘Deeply Disturbing’ Tyre Nichols Video
Officials braced for unrest in Memphis and beyond as police prepared to release a video of a deadly encounter that the police chief said shows ‘acts that defy humanity.’
Officials at the national and local level warned about the potential for unrest over the weekend spurred by the release of body cam footage showing a traffic stop that resulted in the death of a 29-year-old in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this month.
The impending release of the footage comes as five officers, who were fired last week in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, were charged with second-degree murder on Thursday, among other charges. The former officers are all Black, as was Nichols. The Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation into Nichols’ death.
Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged that the footage was “deeply disturbing” and “horrific,” at a press conference on Friday ahead of its release, but he urged the public to be “peaceful and nonviolent” in expressions of concern after viewing it.
“That’s what the family has urged and that of course is what the Justice Department urges as well,” Garland said at a news conference on Friday.
The White House has shared a similar message in recent days, while reiterating calls for accountability within law enforcement.
“As the Department of Justice conducts a full investigation and state authorities continue their work, the president has joined Tyre’s family in calling for protests to remain peaceful,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a briefing on Friday.
Meanwhile, officials braced for possible unrest in Memphis and beyond on Friday and into the weekend, as Memphis police prepared to release a video of the five officers’ encounter with Nichols that the police chief said shows “acts that defy humanity.” She compared the footage to the video of the 1991 beating of Rodney King that sparked riots in Los Angeles, saying it’s “about the same, if not worse.”
“You’re going to see a disregard for life – duty of care – that we’re all sworn to and a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis told CNN.
The video is expected to be made public Friday evening, when schools are out and most people are home from work, after “much discussion” about when the footage should be released, Davis told ABC News.
Authorities are preparing for reaction to the video in Memphis and elsewhere. The U.S. Capitol Police on Friday adopted heightened security measures around the Capitol complex, Politico reported, while D.C. police were “fully activating” forces in anticipation of possible protests.
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