(NEW YORK) — George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Laquan McDonald, and now Tyre Nichols — all are part a growing list of people who have been killed by police.
The latest disturbing death of Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers has renewed calls for police reform.
“The world is watching us,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Thursday as he announced charges against the five police officers who allegedly beat Nichols to death earlier this month. “We need to show the world what lessons we can learn from this tragedy.”
But rather than looking inward, some experts say U.S. law enforcement officials may be better served by looking at the rest of the world for its lessons.
A recent report by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), an independent research organization that focuses on critical issues in policing, shows significant gaps in how police in the U.S. are trained when compared to their international counterparts.
According to the report, titled “Transforming Police Recruit Training: 40 Guiding Principles,” training standards for the more than 18,000 police agencies in the U.S. are outdated and inconsistent, and often provide training that is too brief — with an emphasis on weapons and tactics and too little focus on decision-making, communications and other critical thinking skills that officers use every day.
“Almost every major aspect of policing has fundamentally changed in recent decades, except for one: how we train officers,” the report states.
A matter of weeks
Police training in the U.S. is most often measured in weeks, while in many other countries it is measured in months or years.
“Our training is outdated, antiquated, and is trying to do on the cheap what other places have done in a comprehensive way,” PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler told ABC News.
A 2018 Justice Department study of state and local law enforcement training academies found that the average length of core basic police training in the U.S. is 833 hours, or less than 22 weeks. A more recent survey by PERF found a similar result, with responding agencies reporting an average of 20 weeks of basic police training.
In comparison, police recruits in Japan get between 15 and 21 months of training. Police in Germany get 2.5 years of training. And in Finland, police education takes three years to complete.
U.S. law enforcement agencies do often provide additional training for police on the job who serve in specialized police units such as narcotics squads and violent crime suppression teams. But in Memphis, it was one of those special units — Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhood, or SCORPION — whose members are accused of fatally beating Nichols during a traffic stop arrest. The unit has now been deactivated following Nichols’ death.
Like the military
Many police academies in the U.S. still resemble military boot camps, with cadets in buzz cuts and hair buns getting yelled at by drill instructors.
“Barking orders and giving commands and sort of a military kind of thinking — it’s not a problem-solving approach. It’s not critical thinking,” Wexler said.
Much of the training in American police academies emphasizes skills like marksmanship and defensive tactics, with less focus on so-called “soft skills” like communication and crisis intervention.
“People call those soft skills — those are not soft skills, those are hard,” Wexler says. “Communicating, being a good listener, responding, thinking, and sometimes saying, ‘You know what, we need to step back, we’re not the right ones here. For this we need to bring someone else in.’ Those are important skills, to know your limitations, and also to ask the right questions.”
De-escalation training
A 2020 study by the University of Cincinnati looked at the impact of a training program focused on de-escalation and critical thinking skills in the Louisville Metro Police Department in Kentucky. The program, called Integrated Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) was developed by PERF. University of Cincinnati researchers found that ICAT training was associated with a sizeable reduction in use-of-force incidents as well as the number of injuries to both citizens and officers.
LMPD officers who had participated in ICAT training experienced a 28% reduction in use-of-force incidents and 36% fewer injuries, compared to their peers who had not been given the training. In addition, 26% fewer citizens were injured in encounters with officers who had the training compared to officers who did not.
“It turns out that actually using a critical decision model … is not only safer for the person you’re dealing with, but it’s actually safer for police officers,” said Wexler.
The cost of reform
Regardless of their training, police in the U.S. face unique challenges compared to many of their international counterparts, experts say. American streets are awash in guns and illicit drugs like fentanyl, and training alone won’t change that.
Meanwhile, police departments across the country continue to struggle with staffing shortages. Qualified new recruits are in short supply, and many departments are not keeping pace with the number of police retiring or leaving the profession.
Expanding police training is costly and could have the undesirable effect of slowing down the pipeline of new officers at a time when law enforcement agencies can’t get new police online fast enough. According to a 2020 PERF survey, 71% of police agencies spend less than 5% of their budgets on recruit training.
And law enforcement remains a dangerous profession, with difficult hours and limited pay.
As a result, Wexler says that improving policing requires a wide-ranging investment in the profession.
“There has to be a national commitment to want to fundamentally train … and to compensate police at a level that makes them professionals,” he said.
(LOS ANGELES) — At least three people were killed and four injured in the second mass shooting to erupt in Los Angeles County in eight days — the sixth in California this month, according to police.
The latest shooting occurred Saturday in the upscale Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, bordering Beverly Hills.
The mass-casualty shooting unfolded around 2:30 a.m. when police received multiple 911 calls of a shooting in progress at a short-term rental luxury home in the8 neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
A senior LAPD source told ABC News that the three people killed were found in a car outside of the rental home. Two wounded individuals were found nearby and two others were taken to area hospitals in private vehicles, police said.
Sgt. Bruce Borihanh, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department, said at a news conference that the shooting occurred in front of the rental home.
Two of the injured victims were in critical condition, police said.
No arrests were immediately announced.
Borihanh said investigators were trying to determine if the shooting occurred during a party at the rental house.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
“We’re still interviewing additional occupants, as well as witnesses and neighbors, to try to piece together exactly what happened here,” Borihanh said. “Investigators are also going door to door and looking for additional surveillance video, or any evidence that could help us.”
The Beverly Crest episode came just eight days after a Jan. 21 mass shooting in the Los Angeles County city of Monterey Park, where 12 people were fatally shot at a dance studio allegedly by a 72-year-old man, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound when police cornered him in a van in Torrance, California.
The two Los Angeles County mass shootings are among six that have occurred in California since Jan. 16, when six people, including a teenage mother and her baby, were found fatally shot at a home in Goshen, a semi-rural area in the state’s San Joaquin Valley. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, which has yet to announce any arrests, said the shooting appeared to be a targeted attack by two gunmen possibly connected to a drug cartel.
A day after Monterey Park rampage, a 66-year-old farmworker allegedly shot and killed seven co-workers and injured one in what authorities said was a workplace shooting at two mushroom growing farms in the Northern California city of Half Moon Bay. The suspect, Chunli Zhao, was arrested and charged with seven counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements and a count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murders.
Just hours after the Half Moon Bay shooting, five people were shot, one fatally, in Oakland, California, in what police described as a “targeted” and possibly gang-related attack during the filming of a music video at a gas station.
And on Friday night in San Diego, four people were shot, one fatally, in two shooting incidents that occurred several miles apart and allegedly committed by the same suspect, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The first shooting occurred around 8:26 p.m. in San Diego’s Encanto neighborhood, where police found two 15-year-old boys suffering from gunshot wounds, officials said. They were taken to an area hospital and are expected to survive, police said.
About 49 minutes later, two men were found shot, one fatally, several miles from the Encanto neighborhood, authorities said.
“After both of these shootings, officers received a detailed physical description of the suspect and his vehicle, and it became apparent these shootings were likely related,” police said in a statement. “Officers saturated the area in an effort to locate the suspect before additional acts of violence could occur.”
The suspect was located and arrested after police initiated a “high-risk” traffic stop on a vehicle witnesses saw leaving the scene of at least one of the shootings, officials said. The suspect was identified as 22-year-old Jaime Gonzalez, who was jailed of murder and attempted murder, according to police. He was also arrested gun-related charge stemming from a semi-automatic 9mm handgun found in his car that appeared to be an untraceable “ghost gun,” police said.
Nationwide, there have been 48 mass shootings in the first month of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings nationwide.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Nearly three weeks after Tyre Nichols was violently arrested in Memphis, Tennessee, city officials released disturbing footage of his fatal confrontation with police.
The graphic footage of Memphis police officers beating the 29-year-old following a traffic stop was released Friday “because it was important to the community and to Tyre’s family, as they want the world to be their witness and feel their pain,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement.
The release of the videos sheds more light on what happened to Nichols on the night of Jan. 7, three days before he died. Though it also prompts more questions about the incident, which has sparked nationwide outrage.
What the footage shows
Three videos from body worn cameras were shared to Vimeo by the city of Memphis on Friday with the warning: “Footage contains graphic content and language. Some may find offense. Viewer discretion is advised.” A fourth video — soundless surveillance footage from a city pole camera — was also released, amounting to about 67 minutes total.
1st video
The roughly 11-minute clip is a body camera video that shows Nichols’ initial altercation with police during a traffic stop. As he is pulled out of his car and wrestled to the ground, Nichols can be heard saying, “I didn’t do anything,” and tells officers at least twice that he is “just trying to go home.”
During the altercation an officer warns Nichols, “I’m going to beat your a–” and “I’m going to tase your a–,” as various officers hold him on the ground and yell at him. Nichols’ tone remains calm, at one point telling the cops, “You guys are really doing a lot right now.” He manages to break free from the officers as they appear to try to deploy a stun gun on him and he runs away.
The officer from whose vantage point this body camera video is taken chases him down the road and then turns back to the scene of the initial altercation. Eventually, he learns over the radio that other officers have found Nichols nearby and he says twice, “I hope they stomp his a–.”
2nd video
The roughly 31-minute clip is an overhead surveillance wide-angle shot taken from a city surveillance camera that offers a bird’s-eye view of the unsettling beating.
Several officers can be seen grouped with Nichols, standing over him as he’s on the ground. As two officers hold him down, a third kicks him. A fourth officer comes over with a baton and the officers pick Nichols up from the ground and hold him up while officers appear to strike him in the face and torso.
As Nichols falls to his knees, several officers kneel and lean over him, while another appears to stand a few feet away watching. Additional officers run into the frame. At least one officer kicks Nichols while he is on the ground. About three minutes from the first kick, they begin to step away. They eventually drag him into the street and lean him up against a car as he appears to have his hands behind his back.
Nichols remains slumped next to the car for roughly 20 minutes it appears before officers’ first attempt to render him aid. Several minutes later EMTs appear to lean over Nichols before an ambulance appears.
3rd video
The roughly 6-minute clip is body camera video that shows the officers beating Nichols, taken from the vantage point of the officer who can be seen hitting Nichols with a baton in the second clip.
The footage shows officers beating Nichols and spraying pepper spray as he begins yelling for his mother, who lived nearby. He can be heard screaming “mom” at least three times. The officers yell multiple times at Nichols to “give me your hands.” The officer with the baton can be heard saying, “I’ma baton the f— out of you” then appears to strike him on the back three times. Officers pull Nichols to a stand, then appear to punch and slap him.
4th video
The approximately 19-minute clip is another body camera video from the scene of the beating, though less than two minutes in the camera is somehow affected and nothing is visible. Audio can be heard, including Nichols yelling out “mom.” The video becomes visible once again several minutes later, showing Nichols slumped on the ground next to a vehicle. Later on in the video, as officers stand at the scene rehashing the turn of events, they allege Nichols reached for at least two officers’ guns.
Remaining questions
The footage has helped answer questions about what happened that night, in particular for Nichols’ family. His mother, RowVaughn Wells, said that police initially told her that her son had been tased and pepper sprayed, though the extent of his injuries in the hospital indicated that something more violent had happened. For his stepfather, Rodney Wells, the video “justifies” that Nichols was no threat to the officers.
Though the footage also raises questions about the incident, including:
What led up to Nichols being pulled over?
It’s unclear what led up to the traffic stop in the first place and why officers responded so aggressively. The first video is from the vantage point of an officer arriving at the scene as Nichols is being pulled out of his car while stopped at a red light.
In the fourth video, as officers recounted the traffic stop, one alleged that Nichols nearly drove into oncoming traffic, while another claimed that Nichols swerved and nearly hit his car while he was attempting to pull him over.
Police said he was pulled over for reckless driving, though Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she has been unable to substantiate that.
“I do believe that the stop itself was very questionable,” Davis told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during an interview Friday on “Good Morning America.” “We have been unable to verify the reckless driving allegation.”
Tennessee state Rep. G.A. Hardaway said questions have not been answered regarding the timeline and logistics of the case and called for clarity regarding the chain of command as it pertains to notification of car chases and violent encounters.
“There is more to the story, and I think that the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County deserve to know the whole story,” he said during a press event Saturday.
Will more charges be filed?
Five officers were fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the confrontation, though the footage shows several officers at the scene who have not been identified.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing the family, told ABC News that the video raises more questions about who was involved, including the unidentified officer at the initial traffic stop whose body camera footage was released, and whether they will face any repercussions.
Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who were at the scene of the police confrontation were relieved of their duties pending an investigation shortly after the video was released, the county’s sheriff announced Friday. The sheriff said he has launched an investigation into their conduct “to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated,” though no further information was provided.
The local district attorney has said that more charges could be possible in the case.
Why was the first aid response so long?
It appears that roughly 20 minutes lapse between the ending of the beating and the officers’ first attempts to render aid to Nichols as he sat and lied down on the ground. EMTs are not visible in the video until more than 22 minutes after the end of the beating.
Nichols was hospitalized in critical condition after complaining of shortness of breath during the arrest, police said.
The Memphis Fire Department said that two employees involved in the initial patient care of Nichols were removed from duty last week while the agency conducts an investigation into his death. The fire department updated Friday that it was reviewing the footage and plans to conclude its investigation early next week.
What were the roles of the officers charged?
An attorney for Desmond Mills Jr., one of the former officers charged in the case, also said the videos “produced as many questions as they have answers,” for his client, whom he said was not the first on the scene.
“Some of the questions that remain will require a focus on Desmond Mills’s individual actions; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see when he arrived late to the scene; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see after he was pepper sprayed; and on whether Desmond’s actions crossed the lines that were crossed by other officers during this incident,” the attorney, Blake Ballin, said in a statement.
Ballin added that they are “confident” the answers to whether Mills “crossed the lines that others crossed and whether he committed the crimes charged will be answered with a resounding no.”
ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd, Sasha Pezenik and Laura Romero contributed to this report.
(FLORIDA) — Two former south Florida police officers handcuffed a homeless man last month and drove him to an isolated area where they beat him unconscious, prosecutors alleged Thursday.
According to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Hialeah city officers Rafael Otano and Lorenzo Ofila, who have since been fired, were responding to a disturbance at a bakery shortly after 5 p.m. on Dec. 17, when they encountered 50-year-old Jose Ortega Gutierrez, a homeless man who often roamed the area and was familiar to the officers.
Ofila, 22, allegedly handcuffed Ortega Gutierrez and placed him in the back of his marked police car, said Fernandez Rundle and claimed surveillance footage from the area provided no evidence that supported detaining him.
Instead of booking Ortega Gutierrez into the local jail, Ofila and Otano, 27, allegedly drove him six miles, with their emergency lights flashing, to “an isolated and dark location, against his will,” Fernandez Rundle said at a news conference.
Once there, the officers allegedly threw Gutierrez, who was still handcuffed, to the ground and beat him, she said, noting that Gutierrez later testified he woke up alone, un-handcuffed, and bleeding from the head.
An off-duty Hialeah officer walking his dog noticed Gutierrez walking back after the incident and called 911, as was described during a press conference. An internal investigation into the incident soon commenced.
Prosecutors also arrested Ali Amin Saleh, who they allege tried to provide cover to Ofila and Otano by offering Gutierrez money to withhold his testimony about what happened to him.
Gutierrez told investigators that Saleh offered him more than $1,000 and pressured him to sign an affidavit that stated the officers did not assault him, even though he cannot read, Rundle said.
Ofila and Otano were each charged with armed kidnapping, which could bring a penalty of life in prison, and one count of battery. Ofila was also charged with official misconduct.
“There’s been a horrible miscarriage of justice,” Michael Pizzi, Otano’s attorney, told ABC affiliate WPLG. “This case will be tried in a court of law and at the end of the day, it is our expectation that Mr. Otano will be exonerated and get his job back.”
It was not immediately known whether Orfila or Saleh have retained lawyers.
Saleh was also charged with one count of witness tampering.
“We will not allow rogue police officers to abuse their powers and to betray the public that they serve,” Rundle said.
Hialeah Police Chief George Fuente added: “Let these arrests send a clear message to everyone who wears a badge, that swears to uphold the oath, that we will not accept anything less than an unblemished integrity from those that entrust us to serve and protect.”
“As Mayor I have worked closely with Chief George Fuente to create a department that is not only professional, but meets the standards that the residents of Hialeah deserve, demand, and expect. The actions of these officers fails to meet these expectations,” Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo Jr. said. “The officers involved violated numerous established policies and procedures. Therefore, after consulting with Chief Fuente, I have terminated their employment with the City of Hialeah. The actions of these two officers are not a reflection of the Department as a whole,” he continued.
The mayor also expressed his support for the city’s police department.
“I want to reiterate my support of Chief Fuente and his efforts to revitalize our Police Department. I also want to reassure the residents of our great City that we will continue to improve our Police Department by investing in more training and education for our officers,” he said.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols died at the age of 29 on Jan. 10, three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop arrest in Memphis, Tennessee.
The five Memphis Police Department officers involved in his arrest — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and then charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.
Body camera footage of his alleged beating by the former officers, which is set to be released Friday, has been described as “appalling,” “deplorable,” “heinous,” “violent” and “troublesome on every level” by the attorney for the Nichols family.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 27, 9:32 PM EST
2 deputies at scene relieved of duties pending investigation
Following the footage’s release, two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who were at the scene of the police confrontation have been relieved of their duties pending an investigation, the county’s sheriff announced.
“Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said in a statement on Twitter.
Bonner said he has launched an internal investigation into their conduct “to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated.”
Both are relieved of duty pending the investigation’s outcome, he said.
Jan 27, 9:22 PM EST
Grizzlies hold moment of silence for Nichols
The Memphis Grizzlies held a moment of silence for Nichols before Friday night’s NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
In a pre-game presser, Jenkins was it was “devastating”, “another example of police brutality taking the life of one of our own” and “hard to process.”
In a pre-game presser ahead of the release of the footage, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said it was “devastating”, “another example of police brutality taking the life of one of our own” and “hard to process.”
“A lot of emotion,” Jenkins said.
Jan 27, 8:50 PM EST
Police departments react to video footage
Some major police departments released statements condemning the actions of the former officers seen in the body camera video of Tyre Nichols’ encounter.
The LAPD tweeted a statement from Chief of Police Michel R. Moore, who called the ex-cop’s actions “incredibly disturbing, cruel and inhumane.”
“The violation of trust tarnishes our bade and has a caustic effect on the public’s trust,” Moore said in his statement.
Acting New York State Police Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli also condemned the former officers.
“We are outraged and sickened, and we also understand the frustration being felt by the public,” he said in a statement.
Jan 27, 8:41 PM EST
EMTs not visible in video until over 22 minutes after beating ends
Among the four videos released by the city, the overhead surveillance wide-angle shot taken from a city surveillance camera offers a bird’s-eye view of the beating. The footage is graphic and contains images that are disturbing.
Based on that footage, it appears that roughly 20 minutes lapse between the ending of the beating and the officers’ first attempts to render aid to Nichols. EMTs are not visible in the video until more than 22 minutes after the end of the beating.
Additionally, there appears to be several more officers on the scene other than the five who were fired and charged in this case. Shortly after the beating ends, several other officers can be seen in the video. Those officers have not been identified. The local district attorney has said that more charges could be possible in the case.
-ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd
Jan 27, 8:31 PM EST
Protests begin in Memphis, other cities
Protests following the release of the body camera footage began in Memphis with crowds gathering in the streets and calling Tyre Nichols’ name.
The demonstrations were so far peaceful, but officers were on hand.
Similar protests also took place in Washington, D.C , Philadelphia, Boston and Times Square.
There were no immediate reports of arrests at any of the protests in the other cities.
Jan 27, 7:55 PM EST
DA explains why video release was delayed
Shelby County DA Steven Mulroy released a statement following the release of the body camera footage.
Mulroy said the video was delayed because “it it was important to make sure witnesses spoke first from their memory and nothing else.”
“As D.A., I have always sought to balance out the rightful demands of the community with protecting the integrity of our investigation and prosecution,” Mulroy said in a statement.
The DA reiterated calls for peaceful protest as the investigation continues.
“It’s my hope that this tragedy can lead to a broader conversation on police reform,” he said.
-ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd
Jan 27, 7:03 PM EST
Bodycam footage released
Memphis officials have now released the footage of Nichols’ confrontation with police.
Nichols’ family, who saw the footage earlier this week with their attorneys, supported its public release.
Jan 27, 6:47 PM EST
Biden speaks with Nichols’ family ahead of bodycam video release
President Joe Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather in a phone call Friday ahead of the footage’s public release.
“He was a hell of a kid, a handsome boy,” Biden said.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, told Biden that Nichols had her name tattooed on his arm.
“I do know that,” Biden said. “I love it.”
Ben Crump, the family’s attorney, said on the call that the video will “evoke strong emotion,” and urged U.S. lawmakers to watch.
“This gives you another opportunity to call for them to come back and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, so we can try to prevent the next Tyre Nichols from happening,” Crump said.
“We’re in full agreement,” Biden said, noting that he passed an executive order on police reform, “but we got to get it for local police.”
As he departed the White House for Camp David Friday evening, Biden recapped his call with Nichols’ mother, which he said lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.
“I told her that I was going to be making the case to the Congress they should pass the George Floyd act. We should get this under control,” he said. “I can only do so much in the executive order at the federal level.”
The president also recounted that Wells called for peaceful protests.
“I’m obviously very concerned about it, but I think she has made a very strong plea,” he said.
–with ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jan 27, 5:55 PM EST
Attorney representing ex-Memphis cop speaks out
The attorney representing former Memphis Police Officer Desmond Mills, one of the five charged in Tyre Nichols’ death, spoke with ABC News Friday evening.
Blake Ballin said his client was “maintaining a lot of strength” in the last two weeks and asking how he can cooperate with the investigation.
Ballin said he couldn’t comment on the details about the incident but contended that he didn’t believe that Mills delivered the fatal blow.
The attorney added Mills was a responding officer and not the first to arrive on the scene.
“Everybody played their own role. I suspect you’ll see officers crossed the line but not Desmond,” Ballin said.
The attorney said he didn’t see the body camera footage of the incident, which is slated to be released to the public later tonight.
-ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos
Jan 27, 3:56 PM EST
Biden spoke with Nichols’ family, has not seen video
President Joe Biden has not seen the Tyre Nichols video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening, but the president has spoken to Nichols’ family, according to the White House.
“He’s been briefed, but he has not seen the video, nor has anyone at the White House seen the video,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.
Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather Friday afternoon to offer his condolences, a White House official said.
Jean Pierre reiterated that Biden has echoed Nichols’ family’s calls for calm and peaceful protests. But the White House is “in coordination with the relevant agencies to ensure they prepare if protests become violent,” she added.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jan 27, 3:23 PM EST
Memphis Fire Department reviewing the video
The Memphis Fire Department said it received the video of Tyre Nichols’ traffic stop on Friday and is currently reviewing the footage.
Two Memphis Fire Department employees who responded to the scene where Nichols was injured have been relieved of duty in the wake of Nichols’ death.
The Memphis Fire Department said its investigation will conclude early next week.
Jan 27, 1:06 PM EST
Nichols family ‘very satisfied’ with charges
Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, said at a news conference Friday that he’s “very satisfied with the charges” against the five police officers, including second-degree murder.
Although Wells initially said he wanted to see the officers charged with first-degree murder, he said, “As the charges were told to us and they explained to us what the difference between murder one and murder two was, we’re very satisfied with the charges.”
Wells pleaded with the public to protest peacefully.
“We want peace. We do not want any type of uproar,” he said.
Wells added, “The family is very satisfied with the process, with the police chief, the D.A. They acted very, very quickly in this case. We are very, very pleased with that. Other cases drag on, but this is a special case. We had a special son.”
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said she didn’t watch the body camera video of her son’s confrontation with police and urged people to not let their children see it.
Law enforcement, Nichols’ family and the family attorneys have already seen the video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening.
RowVaughn Wells said the five officers charged in connection to her son’s death disgraced their families, but said she’ll pray for them and their families.
She added, “No mother should go through what I’m going through right now. No mother. To lose their child to the violent way that I lost my child.”
Jan 27, 12:55 PM EST
Family attorney: ‘This kidnapping charge — it is terrorism’
Tyre Nichols family attorney Antonio Romanucci stressed the fact that the charges against the Memphis police officers include kidnapping.
By Tennessee law, he said, “the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge — it is terrorism.”
“When you think of 9/11, what’s the word that comes to mind? Terrorism. When you think of other heinous acts that have happened in churches across this country, any act of terrorism, what does that instill in you? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “It is terrorism. It was designed to terrorize the victim.”
Family attorney Ben Crump added, “One of the things that must be stated about the kidnapping charge … when you all see this video, you’re going to see Tyre Nichols is calling out for his mom.”
“He calls out three times for his mother. His last words on this Earth is, ‘mom,’” Crump said. “When you think about that kidnapping charge, [Nichols] said, ‘I just want to go home.’ I mean, it’s a traffic stop, for God’s sake.”
Jan 27, 12:31 PM EST
Ben Crump: ‘This is the blueprint going forward’
Ben Crump, an attorney for Tyre Nichols’ family, is applauding the charges, including second-degree murder, that were “swiftly” brought against the five Memphis police officers involved in Nichols’ traffic stop.
“When we look at how these five Black officers, who were caught on camera committing a crime, and when we look at how fast the police chief and the police department terminated them,” Crump said at a news conference Friday. “And we look at how swiftly the district attorney brought charges against them in less than 20 days, then we want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be Black or white, will be held accountable.”
“We won’t accept less going forward,” Crump said.
“We have a precedent that has been set here in Memphis,” he said.
Jan 27, 11:48 AM EST
FBI director watched video, says he was ‘appalled’
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday that he’s watched the video and “was appalled.”
“I’m struggling to find a stronger word, but I can tell you I was appalled,” Wray said.
He said alerts have been sent to FBI field offices across the U.S. instructing them to work closely with state and local partners “in the event of something getting out of hand” after the video is released to the public Friday evening.
Wray added, “There is a right way and a wrong way in this country to express being upset or angry about something, and we need to make sure that if there is that sentiment expressed here, it is done in the right way.”
Jan 27, 10:36 AM EST
Memphis police chief says video left her ‘horrified,’ ‘disgusted’
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”
“In my 36 years … I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad … and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Friday.
When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” she replied that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”
Davis said “there was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” and “we felt that Friday would be better.”
“We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home,” the chief explained.
“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis added. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”
Jan 27, 10:28 AM EST
Memphis calls for ‘safe’ protest
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she expects residents to protest upon the release of the body-camera footage, which she called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” though said “we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”
“None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens,” Davis said in a statement Thursday, following the arrest of the five officers involved in Nichol’s arrest.
Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the official video footage is released.
Tennessee Sheriff’s Association President Jeff Bledsoe sent out a letter to Jonathan Thompson, the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director/CEO, on Wednesday anticipating the public reaction to the video’s release.
“Due to the nature of the video’s contents it is believed it may spark responses outside of the traditional protests,” the letter read. “There is a public safety risk potential to communities and peace officers expanding outside of the Shelby County (Memphis) TN area.”
Other cities are also anticipating protests upon the release of the footage.
“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”
In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.”
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told a local radio station on Friday, “It is imperative that New Yorkers exercise their right to free speech in a very peaceful way — and that is what we are expecting from the city.”
Jan 27, 10:24 AM EST
Nichols’ family reacts to bodycam footage
After viewing the body camera footage Monday morning along with their attorney, Nichols’ family said they saw the police kick, pepper spray and use a stun gun on their son all while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”
“They handcuffed him and set him — propped him up on the car. And as he fell over they’d tell him, ‘Sit back up,'” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told ABC News earlier this week. “You know, and he would slump back over again and they would make him sit back up. They never rendered any aid.”
Nichols’ mother, Rowvaughn Wells, told ABC News that she could not watch the entire video.
“Once the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard him say was, ‘What did I do?’ And once I heard that, I lost it,” she said.
An independent autopsy, completed by a forensic pathologist hired by the family’s attorneys, found that Nichols suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to the family.
Jan 27, 10:22 AM EST
Timing of body camera footage release
The city plans to publicly release the body camera footage of Nichols’ arrest sometime after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
“As we have said all along, we wanted to ensure the proper legal steps were followed and that the family of Mr. Nichols had the opportunity to view the video footage privately before we released it to the public,” Strickland said in a statement Thursday night.
“It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training. But we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” he continued, noting the city is initiating an independent review of the specialized units’ training, policies and operations.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — The Memphis Police Department unit at the center of Tyre Nichols’ death earlier this month has now come under scrutiny from critics over its approach to fighting crime.
The SCORPION unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods, was announced in October 2021 and launched a month later. It encompasses 40 officers split into four teams who patrol “high crime hotspots” throughout the city, the police department announced in November 2021.
MPD Assistant Chief Sean Jones told reporters during the launch that SCORPION officers would focus on auto thefts, gang-related crimes and drug-related crimes.
“It’s important to us that each member of the community feels they can go to the grocery store or live in their house without their house being shot or shooting frequently occurring on the streets and on the roadways,” Jones told ABC affiliate WATN in November 2021.
The locations chosen by the police were determined based on the number of 911 calls, Jones said at the time.
Two months into SCORPION’s deployment, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland touted the unit’s effectiveness. In his state of the city speech, Strickland claimed the unit was responsible for 566 arrests, 390 of them felony arrests, seized $103,000 in cash, 270 vehicles and 253 weapons between October 2021 and Jan. 23, 2022.
Criminal justice reform activists and some residents, however, have accused officers in the unit of using excessive force.
Ben Crump, an attorney representing Nichols’ family, told reporters Friday that he had heard of several alleged instances of residents being pushed to the ground, cursed at and suffering other physical injuries at the hands of officers in the unit. One of the alleged victims was 66, according to Crump.
“He said he was confronted by this unit and he was brutalized, and he had pictures of his injuries,” Crump said. “And so, it was foreseeable that something tragic like this was going to happen.”
The Memphis PD did not immediately comment on Crump’s allegations. The Memphis Police Association, the union representing the city’s police officers, hasn’t commented on the case as of Jan. 27.
Patrick Yoes, the president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, one of the largest police unions in the country, issued a statement Friday evening calling Nichols’ death a “criminal assault” and saying the actions of the officers accused in his death “does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong.”
“The men arrested and charged for this crime have rights, the presumption of innocence, and the due process protections of anyone accused of a crime, but the bottom line here is that Tyre Nichols, his family, and our entire country need to see justice done—swiftly and surely,” Yoes said in a statement.
Tony Romanucci, another attorney representing the family, called on MPD Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis to disband the SCORPION unit immediately, alleging that the unit has created “a continual pattern and practice of bad behavior.
“The intent of the SCORPION unit has been corrupted,” Romanucci said at the news conference. “It cannot be brought back to center with any sense of morality and dignity, and most importantly, trust in this community. How will the community ever, ever trust a SCORPION unit?”
Strickland said in a video statement Thursday that the department would launch an “outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations” of its specialized units.
Davis said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Friday that she was “horrified” by the video of the traffic stop that led to Nichols’ death.
“As we continue to try to build trust with our community, this is a very, very heavy cross to bear — not just for our department but for departments across the country,” she added. “Building trust is a day-by-day interaction between every traffic stop, every encounter with the community. We all have to be responsible for that and it’s going to be difficult in the days to come.”
(NEW YORK) — Six months after a man with a loaded AK-47-style rifle was caught outside the Brooklyn, New York, home of a prominent Iranian dissident journalist, federal prosecutors on Friday announced new arrests in what they’ve called a murder-for-hire plot by Iran.
On Friday, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against two men, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, for targeting journalist Masih Alinejad because her reporting publicized Iran’s human rights abuses, its treatment of women and its suppression of democratic participation.
Amirov lives in Iran and Omarov lives in Eastern Europe. Along with Khalid Mehdiyev, who was previously arrested in Brooklyn, they were part of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran, according to the charging documents.
Amirov, the leader, worked with Omarov to arrange for the payment of $30,000 to Mehdiyev, “who then procured an AK-47-style assault rifle for carrying out the murder,” according to the criminal complaint.
“At Amirov’s and Omarov’s instructions, Mehdiyev surveilled the Victim and members of the Victim’s family; took photographs and videos of the Victim’s residence in Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhood; and devised schemes to lure the Victim out of the Victim’s house,” a charging document says.
The Justice Department alleges that the government of Iran has previously targeted dissidents, and Alinejad in particular. In 2018, Iranian government officials attempted to “induce relatives of the Victim who reside in Iran to invite the Victim to travel to a third country for the apparent purpose of having the Victim arrested or detained and transported to Iran for imprisonment,” prosecutors allege.
Omarov tasked Mehdiyev on July 13, 2022, with carrying out the murder for hire plot, the DOJ claims. The men allegedly arranged to have a cash payment of $30,000 delivered to Mehdiyev, who then acquired an AK-47-type weapon to carry out the attack, according to court documents.
“War machine,” Mehdiyev allegedly told the co-conspirators in a message, in apparent reference to the weapon.
For eight days, the three men surveilled the home of Alinejad, 45, and schemed to get her out of her house, according to documents. One plan involved sending her flowers so she would have to step outside, the documents said.
“It will be a show once she steps out of the house,” Mehdiyev allegedly told Omarov in a message.
A day later, on July 28, Mehdiyev was stopped by the NYPD after leaving the area, and was arrested.
“Today’s indictment exposes a dangerous menace to national security — a double threat posed by a vicious transnational crime group operating from what it thought was the safe haven of a rogue nation: Iran,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Friday.
The Iranians were so intent on silencing Alinejad, its intelligence personnel developed a series of possible escape routes, including travel from Brooklyn, a speedboat from Manhattan, and another boat to Venezuela, according to the complaint.
Amirov and Omarov are charged with money laundering and murder for hire. Amirov appeared briefly Friday in court to plead not guilty to the murder-for-hire charges. He did not contest being held without bail.
Prosecutors did not explain how U.S. officials managed to arrest Amirov, who had been living in Iran.
Omirov was arrested in the Czech Republic and U.S. authorities are seeking his extradition.
Mehdiyev, who was previously in custody, is expected in court next week.
(ABINGDON, Va.) — Two inmates, including a convicted murderer, who escaped from a Virginia jail have been apprehended in Tennessee, authorities said, more than 24 hours after announcing a fugitive manhunt.
The inmates — identified by the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office as Johnny Shane Brown, 51, of Rogersville, Tennessee, and Albert Lee Ricketson, 31, of Abingdon, Virginia — allegedly escaped the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority in Abingdon from a recreational yard around 2:45 p.m. Thursday. A Washington County emergency alert issued about an hour later warned residents to stay indoors and lock their doors.
A 2008 gold Cadillac SUV allegedly stolen by Brown and Ricketson in Abingdon following their escape was located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, along Route 66 on Friday morning, the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office said.
The two men were found “hiding in the upstairs of a barn” in Rogersville, Tennessee, about four miles from where the stolen vehicle was found, and were arrested without incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Brown, will be held in Washington County Tennessee Jail without bond, while Ricketson will be held in Hawkins County Tennessee Jail without bond, authorities said.
A $5,000 reward for each man was being offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to their apprehension.
Ricketson was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder, while Brown is a federal inmate, authorities said.
Ricketson was arrested in August 2020 in the fatal shooting of a man and woman in Washington County. A jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder in November 2022, court records show.
Brown was in federal custody after allegedly escaping from another jail nearly a year ago. He and two other inmates broke out of the Sullivan County Jail in Tennessee through an air vent in early February 2022, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
The other two inmates were found dead following a police pursuit in North Carolina, while Brown was apprehended in the state six days after they escaped, authorities said.
Brown was in the Sullivan County Jail at the time of the escape after being convicted of distributing methamphetamine, according to an indictment. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the felony offense, court records show.
A plea agreement on the escape charge was due by April 20 and a jury trial was scheduled to start on May 11, federal court records show.
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols died at the age of 29 on Jan. 10, three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop arrest in Memphis, Tennessee.
The five Memphis Police Department officers involved in his arrest — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and then charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.
Body camera footage of his alleged beating by the former officers, which is set to be released Friday, has been described as “appalling,” “deplorable,” “heinous,” “violent” and “troublesome on every level” by the attorney for the Nichols family.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 27, 3:56 PM EST
Biden spoke with Nichols’ family, has not seen video
President Joe Biden has not seen the Tyre Nichols video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening, but the president has spoken to Nichols’ family, according to the White House.
“He’s been briefed, but he has not seen the video, nor has anyone at the White House seen the video,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.
Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather Friday afternoon to offer his condolences, a White House official said.
Jean Pierre reiterated that Biden has echoed Nichols’ family’s calls for calm and peaceful protests. But the White House is “in coordination with the relevant agencies to ensure they prepare if protests become violent,” she added.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Jan 27, 3:23 PM EST
Memphis Fire Department reviewing the video
The Memphis Fire Department said it received the video of Tyre Nichols’ traffic stop on Friday and is currently reviewing the footage.
Two Memphis Fire Department employees who responded to the scene where Nichols was injured have been relieved of duty in the wake of Nichols’ death.
The Memphis Fire Department said its investigation will conclude early next week.
Jan 27, 1:06 PM EST
Nichols family ‘very satisfied’ with charges
Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, said at a news conference Friday that he’s “very satisfied with the charges” against the five police officers, including second-degree murder.
Although Wells initially said he wanted to see the officers charged with first-degree murder, he said, “As the charges were told to us and they explained to us what the difference between murder one and murder two was, we’re very satisfied with the charges.”
Wells pleaded with the public to protest peacefully.
“We want peace. We do not want any type of uproar,” he said.
Wells added, “The family is very satisfied with the process, with the police chief, the D.A. They acted very, very quickly in this case. We are very, very pleased with that. Other cases drag on, but this is a special case. We had a special son.”
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said she didn’t watch the body camera video of her son’s confrontation with police and urged people to not let their children see it.
Law enforcement, Nichols’ family and the family attorneys have already seen the video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening.
RowVaughn Wells said the five officers charged in connection to her son’s death disgraced their families, but said she’ll pray for them and their families.
She added, “No mother should go through what I’m going through right now. No mother. To lose their child to the violent way that I lost my child.”
Jan 27, 12:55 PM EST
Family attorney: ‘This kidnapping charge — it is terrorism’
Tyre Nichols family attorney Antonio Romanucci stressed the fact that the charges against the Memphis police officers include kidnapping.
By Tennessee law, he said, “the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge — it is terrorism.”
“When you think of 9/11, what’s the word that comes to mind? Terrorism. When you think of other heinous acts that have happened in churches across this country, any act of terrorism, what does that instill in you? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “It is terrorism. It was designed to terrorize the victim.”
Family attorney Ben Crump added, “One of the things that must be stated about the kidnapping charge … when you all see this video, you’re going to see Tyre Nichols is calling out for his mom.”
“He calls out three times for his mother. His last words on this Earth is, ‘mom,’” Crump said. “When you think about that kidnapping charge, [Nichols] said, ‘I just want to go home.’ I mean, it’s a traffic stop, for God’s sake.”
Jan 27, 12:31 PM EST
Ben Crump: ‘This is the blueprint going forward’
Ben Crump, an attorney for Tyre Nichols’ family, is applauding the charges, including second-degree murder, that were “swiftly” brought against the five Memphis police officers involved in Nichols’ traffic stop.
“When we look at how these five Black officers, who were caught on camera committing a crime, and when we look at how fast the police chief and the police department terminated them,” Crump said at a news conference Friday. “And we look at how swiftly the district attorney brought charges against them in less than 20 days, then we want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be Black or white, will be held accountable.”
“We won’t accept less going forward,” Crump said.
“We have a precedent that has been set here in Memphis,” he said.
Jan 27, 11:48 AM EST
FBI director watched video, says he was ‘appalled’
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday that he’s watched the video and “was appalled.”
“I’m struggling to find a stronger word, but I can tell you I was appalled,” Wray said.
He said alerts have been sent to FBI field offices across the U.S. instructing them to work closely with state and local partners “in the event of something getting out of hand” after the video is released to the public Friday evening.
Wray added, “There is a right way and a wrong way in this country to express being upset or angry about something, and we need to make sure that if there is that sentiment expressed here, it is done in the right way.”
Jan 27, 10:36 AM EST
Memphis police chief says video left her ‘horrified,’ ‘disgusted’
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”
“In my 36 years … I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad … and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Friday.
When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” she replied that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”
Davis said “there was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” and “we felt that Friday would be better.”
“We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home,” the chief explained.
“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis added. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”
Jan 27, 10:28 AM EST
Memphis calls for ‘safe’ protest
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she expects residents to protest upon the release of the body-camera footage, which she called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” though said “we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”
“None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens,” Davis said in a statement Thursday, following the arrest of the five officers involved in Nichol’s arrest.
Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the official video footage is released.
Tennessee Sheriff’s Association President Jeff Bledsoe sent out a letter to Jonathan Thompson, the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director/CEO, on Wednesday anticipating the public reaction to the video’s release.
“Due to the nature of the video’s contents it is believed it may spark responses outside of the traditional protests,” the letter read. “There is a public safety risk potential to communities and peace officers expanding outside of the Shelby County (Memphis) TN area.”
Other cities are also anticipating protests upon the release of the footage.
“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”
In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.”
In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told a local radio station on Friday, “It is imperative that New Yorkers exercise their right to free speech in a very peaceful way — and that is what we are expecting from the city.”
Jan 27, 10:24 AM EST
Nichols’ family reacts to bodycam footage
After viewing the body camera footage Monday morning along with their attorney, Nichols’ family said they saw the police kick, pepper spray and use a stun gun on their son all while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”
“They handcuffed him and set him — propped him up on the car. And as he fell over they’d tell him, ‘Sit back up,'” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told ABC News earlier this week. “You know, and he would slump back over again and they would make him sit back up. They never rendered any aid.”
Nichols’ mother, Rowvaughn Wells, told ABC News that she could not watch the entire video.
“Once the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard him say was, ‘What did I do?’ And once I heard that, I lost it,” she said.
An independent autopsy, completed by a forensic pathologist hired by the family’s attorneys, found that Nichols suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to the family.
Jan 27, 10:22 AM EST
Timing of body camera footage release
The city plans to publicly release the body camera footage of Nichols’ arrest sometime after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.
“As we have said all along, we wanted to ensure the proper legal steps were followed and that the family of Mr. Nichols had the opportunity to view the video footage privately before we released it to the public,” Strickland said in a statement Thursday night.
“It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training. But we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” he continued, noting the city is initiating an independent review of the specialized units’ training, policies and operations.
(NEW YORK) — Students Demand Action, a grassroots network of Everytown for Gun Safety, is launching a campaign calling on colleges and universities across the country to divest from the gun industry.
Students at nearly 30 colleges and universities around the country have joined the campaign, called #KillerBusiness, and are asking their colleges and universities to cut economic ties with the gun industry until these companies take accountability for their actions. Students will be organizing on their campuses to put pressure on their institutions to reveal their investments and stop funding the gun industry, according to Everytown.
Everytown plans to increase the number of campuses involved in the campaign throughout the year.
Colleges are notoriously secretive about their investments, though some schools have debated divesting from gun manufacturers in the past.
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, Boston University discussed divesting from the gun industry but ultimately trustees rejected a recommendation from an advisory committee. The debate was revived again last year, with BU saying it had no current investment in gun manufacturers and would review whether to exclude future investments, according to the student paper.
Many colleges and universities use large investment firms to manage their endowments, further clouding whether schools are invested in gun manufacturers.
Everytown’s announcement comes days after two mass shootings in California — in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay — left 18 people dead and several others wounded.
There have been 41 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot not including the gunman. Less than a month into the year, 3,130 people have died due to gun violence, including 1,782 people who died by suicide, according to the nonprofit.
Advocates have pushed for the University of California system, one of the largest in the country, to divest from guns for years. The Student Association pushed the Board of Regents to do so in a resolution in 2015, but that fight was still ongoing at least as of last year.
Some of the schools where students have signed on to the campaign include the University of Chicago, Yale University, Miami University and University of California, Davis.
Everytown accused the gun industry of refusing to make its products safer and halt dangerous marketing practices that often focus on youth.
Students Demand Action recently put out a list of steps it is asking the gun industry to take to reduce harm. It has asked the industry to stop marketing weapons of war to civilians and using military imagery to sell guns; stop making do-it-yourself kits that allow anyone to build untraceable ghost guns; stop producing weapons that are easily modified to make them shoot more rounds, more quickly; and stop working with dealers who sell guns without a background check, including at gun shows and online.
The gun industry brings in an estimated $9 billion a year, according to Everytown.
“We refuse to see our schools’ money invested in an industry that won’t even take simple steps to keep us safe,” Ade Osadolor-Hernandez, a volunteer with Students Demand Action and a student at the University of Chicago, said in a press release.
“The gun industry must be held accountable for its deadly practices, and we will work tirelessly to make sure that colleges and universities across the country divest from this killer business,” Osadolor-Hernandez added.
ABC News has reached out to the University of Chicago for comment.
