The family of a Memphis, Tennessee man who was hospitalized and died after he was taken into custody by police is demanding the official release of body camera and security video of the encounter.
Tire Nichols was taken to the hospital in critical condition after Memphis police officers pulled him over for reckless driving on January 7, the police department said in a statement the following day. Nichols died at the hospital three days later.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the family, is calling on police to release video of the stop, saying in a statement that «all available information tells us this was the tragic and preventable death of a young man.» «.
“No one should be killed by a simple traffic stop – the images are the only way to discern the true narrative of why and how this happened to Tire,” Crump said.
Family members also rallied outside the National Civil Rights Museum with protesters Monday, holding signs with photos of Nichols. Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, was one of the relatives who protested over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. NBC affiliate WMC reported.
«You shouldn’t be on a dialysis machine, a press machine, looking like this because of a traffic stop,» Wells told WMC.
Police said a «confrontation» ensued between Nichols and officers as they approached his car on January 7. He ran away and officers gave chase, police said.
«While attempting to detain the suspect, another confrontation occurred; however, the suspect was ultimately apprehended,» the police department said in the Jan. 8 statement. «Afterward, the suspect complained of having difficulty breathing, at which time an ambulance was called to the scene.»
Police did not provide details about the confrontation. A photo provided by her stepfather showed Nichols in the hospital with blood on his face and what appeared to be a swollen eye.
The police department said in its opening statement that the district attorney general’s office had been contacted and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had been asked to investigate. The officers, who were not publicly identified, were relieved of their duties pending the outcome, a routine practice.
Police Chief CJ Davis said Sunday that the department was «notifying» officers of «imminent administrative actions.» The department’s statement said it expected to conclude the «disciplinary and investigative administrative process» within the next week.
«After reviewing various sources of information related to this incident, I have found that immediate and appropriate action is necessary,» Davis said.
Mayor Jim Strickland told residents the city was «prepared to take immediate and appropriate action» once the investigation was concluded.
«Make no mistake, we take departmental violations very seriously and while we must complete the investigative process, our top priority is to ensure swift justice is served,» Strickland said.