Source: Scott Olson / Getty
On Friday (January 27), the city of Memphis released body cam and sky cam footage of the arrest and subsequent assault of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols. Nichols was pulled over in a traffic stop by five police officers who then began to assault the motorist. Ultimately, Nichols was hospitalized for his injuries and died days later.
RELATED: 5 Memphis Police Officers Who Fatally Beat Tyre Nichols Charged With Murder
RELATED: Tyre Nichols’ Death Shows Black Cops Can Also Be ‘Faces Of White Supremacy’
America got a first-hand account of the video after receiving word from Nichols’ attorney, the police chief of Memphis who fired the five officers involved, the FBI and others who detailed the video as “graphic” and “appalling.” Protests and moments of silence were announced across the country for Nichols, an avid skateboarder, photographer and the father of a 4-year-old son.
“I have spoken to several people who have actually seen the video. … I have been told it’s disgusting, it’s damaging; it’s not good even slightly,” councilman Frank Colvett, Jr. told FOX13 before continuing later: “It’s bad. That was one, the overarching thing that I heard.”
“This is worse than Rodney King,” Memphis police chief Cerelyn Davis told CNN’s Don Lemon on Friday.
Memphis Police Chief tells @donlemon the video of Tyre Nichols' beating at the hands of Memphis Police is "about the same if not worse" than the 1991 police beating of Rodney King, which led to riots in Los Angeles: pic.twitter.com/cmB7fcD1br
— CNN This Morning (@CNNThisMorning) January 27, 2023
Ahead of the video’s release, numerous individuals, such as Questlove, warned people about viewing and resharing the video as another moment of “Black trauma porn,” as evident by dozens of police videos involving men and women killed at the hands of law enforcement.
“For The Love Of God. Torture P*rn Is Not Going To Serve Your Soul. #TyreNichols,” the Academy Award winner tweeted.
For The Love Of God. Torture P*rn Is Not Going To Serve Your Soul. #TyreNichols. https://t.co/YinukydfFj
— Dr. Love (@questlove) January 27, 2023
Others on social media echoed Questlove’s sentiments. In contrast, others took in the video as America once more questions policing, race and more in a way that has become more than the new normal in the wake of the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
You can see more reactions to the video below
1.
For people saying “but the police who killed Tyre Nichols are Black, how is that racist?” crowd, anti-Blackness is cultural phenomenon shared across racial and ethnic backgrounds. John Singleton told y’all that 32 years ago pic.twitter.com/p4COXZEcBG
— 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 (@exavierpope) January 27, 2023
2.
The silence of the Blue Lives Matter folks on the Tyre Nichols murder is deafening.
— Touré (@Toure) January 27, 2023
3.
You don’t have to watch the video of #TyreNichols being beaten by police.
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) January 27, 2023
You don’t have to subject yourself to that trauma.
It should not require another video of a Black human being dehumanized for anyone to understand that police brutality is an urgent, devastating issue.
4.
They tortured #TyreNichols and murdered him.
— deray (@deray) January 28, 2023
Disband the Memphis Police Department.
5.
So these Memphis cops came looking for revenge on Tyre Nichols. You can hear it all in their voices. This is disgusting.
— Natasha S. Alford (@NatashaSAlford) January 28, 2023
6.
7.
I think everyone — all of us — can agree this is horrifying.
— An Angry Empath: Random Thoughts From A GenX Gal (@empath_angry) January 28, 2023
There just aren't words for this.#TyreNichols
8.
my stomach hurts.
— jordyn 🧚🏽♀️ she/her (@retrcjordyn) January 28, 2023
sending my condolences and love to Tyre Nichols’s family and the citizens of Memphis who are protesting tonight.
9.
I hate they way they are handling the video of the Tyre Nichols.
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) January 27, 2023
I hate having to talk to my 8 year old son about it.
I hate knowing he will find a way to see the video.
I hate knowing the same conversation has been happening for decades.
I hate knowing trauma is normal.
10.
the start of the Tyre Nichols video shows a group of police, for no discernable reason, immediately escalating to violence, threatening and hitting a young man while shouting contradictory orders at him
— Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) January 28, 2023
they threaten to tase him if he does not lie down, while he is lying down
11.
Gentle reminder to folks that you don’t have to watch the video of Tyre Nichols if you don’t want to do so.
— Marissa 💃🏾 (@marissaaevans) January 28, 2023
You’re not in less community with others for not watching it and taking care of yourself.
For those who are planning to watch it, please take care of yourself.
12.
They killed #TyreNichols. They hunted him down and beat him until he couldn’t move again. They kicked, punched, and whipped him as if he was an animal.
— Rev. James “Major” Woodall (@iMajorWish) January 28, 2023
13.
The #TyreNichols video is beyond grotesque. I feel absolutely sick.
— tangerine (@tentelegrams) January 28, 2023
Brutality doesn’t even remotely begin cover what they did to that poor man and y’all, this started as a TRAFFIC STOP. Insane.
14.
I don't have the words to describe how awful the Tyre Nichols video is. He was executed.
— Angelic (@AZAngelic) January 28, 2023
15.
I managed to watch about 30 seconds, and that was more than enough to know Tyre Nichols suffered needless brutality at the hands of the very people meant to protect him.
— Casey (she/her) (@MamaSissieSays) January 28, 2023
As a parent, my thoughts are with his family.
As a citizen, my anger demands redress #JusticeforTyreNichols
16.
These #TyreNichols videos are outrageous, this shit has to stop, another young person’s life gone due to a simple traffic stop. Absolutely disgusting.
— Garrett Olson (@TheRealGolson) January 28, 2023
17.
A younger Baltimore cop texts me after watching Memphis video: “This barely reaches the level of active resistance on our use of force continuum… These guys look like they've never made an arrest in their lives”
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) January 28, 2023
18.
So the cops are out of breath, Kiki-ing with each other, laughing, while Tyre Nichols is fading on the ground. Like just another day at the office.
— Natasha S. Alford (@NatashaSAlford) January 28, 2023
19.
Thing about releasing videos like this is the line between accountability and sensationalism is razor-thin. In one way, the world should see the evil it inflicts. On another, his family has to deal with the trauma they’ll never heal from in the most tragically public way.
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) January 28, 2023
20.
🚨 BREAKING: FOP National President “Infuriated” by Description of Assault by Memphis Officers
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) January 27, 2023
“The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong." pic.twitter.com/D9cUTvUEEU
21.
I am aghast at this #TyreNichols video. We have a police problem in this country
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) January 28, 2023
22.
Watching @JoyAnnReid’s show and seeing this video of #TyreNichols is heartbreaking. That his mother has to know this is what happened to her son …. i just cannot imagine.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 28, 2023
23.
I have a Black father.
— India Andrea (@Indigeaux___) January 28, 2023
I have a Black partner.
I one day will have a Black son(s).
This footage is gut wrenching. He deserved better.
24.
Pray for the city of Memphis because this footage is INSANE.
— Hoops & Brews (@HoopsNBrews) January 28, 2023
-TPJ
25.
"I'm just trying to get home." -Tyre Nichols
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) January 28, 2023
26.
My heart aches for every Black journalist in Memphis that will have to hold back tears to report tonight.
— Diamond Palmer | Spectrum News 1 (@diamondpalmertv) January 27, 2023
27.
Rip Tyre Nichols. Don’t watch that video if you don’t have to.
— Desus MFing Nice💯 (@desusnice) January 28, 2023
28.
Those screams for his mom. My God.
— @skylerhenry (@SkylerHenry) January 28, 2023
29.
I remember the Rodney King assault. I remember how many of us thought the footage would change everything, Finally there was “proof”. Now there’s footage everyday of police brutalizing us. This footage is in HD & often comes from the police. Nothing changes. #TyreNichols
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) January 27, 2023
