An African American, yet another, who died after being beaten up by the police, five black officers accused of second-degree murder and the fear that the righteous indignation of a community would turn into violence as happened after the death of George Floyd. when from Minneapolis to Washington, American cities were set on fire by riots.
"As the Justice Department conducts its investigation, I urge the family to join a call for peaceful protest. Outrage is understandable but violence is not acceptable. Violence is destructive and against the law. There is no room for violence in peaceful protests demanding justice", was the appeal of Joe Biden who expressed closeness to the family of Tire Nichols, the 29-year-old who died in Memphis three days after being stopped for a road check.
A preventive invitation that of the president in anticipation of the publication, tomorrow, of the video taken by the bodycams on the agents which, according to the victim's family who saw it in recent days, contains shocking images.
Nichols had been pulled over Jan. 7 for "reckless driving," according to police, and died three days later in hospital.
On January 20, the five officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, also African Americans, were fired and an investigation was opened.
But it was only with the analysis of the video of the detention that it became clear that Nichols died as a result of the beatings he suffered with ruthless cruelty.
"Tyre was beaten like a human pot," said Nichols' attorney Ben Crump, noting that "no parent should ever see 'those'" horrendous images".
The 29-year-old was beaten continuously "for three minutes" during which he "was completely helpless".
Then he began to experience "breathing difficulties", and was taken to the hospital where he probably died of a haemorrhage.
The officers were charged with second-degree murder, assault and kidnapping.
"Passionate about skateboarding, sunsets and photography", Tire leaves behind a 4-year-old son.
It is already the second episode of police violence against a black man this year: last January 3, in Los Angeles, the teacher Keenan Anderson, cousin of the founder of 'Black Lives Matter' Patrisse Cullors, died of cardiac arrest after being tasered and suffocated.
His last words to the policeman who pressed his elbow against his neck were: "You will kill me like George Floyd".
Even in that case the tragedy began with a banal arrest.
On the other hand, according to statistics from black rights organizations, 10% of the killings of African Americans by American police start with a stop for an accident or a traffic offense while, in general, an African American is twice as likely and a half more than a white man to be killed by agents.
