Enlarge image
Joe Biden: "Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable"
Photo: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / REUTERS
Following the indictment of five former police officers in the death of Tire Nichols, US President Joe Biden has offered his condolences to the man's family and called for peaceful demonstrations.
29-year-old Tire Nichols was pulled over by Memphis police on January 7 for "reckless driving."
According to a family lawyer, the black man was beaten up by emergency services for several minutes and later died in hospital.
An autopsy report revealed that he suffered profuse bleeding from severe beatings.
Police officers charged with second-degree murder
The police had fired the five officers, who were also black, because of the incident.
They used excessive force, did not intervene and did not provide assistance.
The public prosecutor's office has accused them of, among other things, the "second degree murder" homicide.
Video footage of the crime is scheduled to be released on Friday evening (local time).
As in the past, demonstrations are expected in similar cases.
Biden said he joins Nichols' family in calling for peaceful protest: "Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable."
Nichols' death is a "painful reminder that we must do more to ensure our criminal justice system delivers on the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment and the dignity of all people." "deadly clashes" with law enforcement agencies were disproportionately affected.
»This is a failure of basic humanity«
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis expressed her dismay at the 29-year-old's death on Wednesday night.
The actions of the police officers were "disgusting" and "inhuman".
“This isn't just a professional failure.
This is a failure of basic humanity.«
Deadly police violence is a regular occurrence in the United States.
Often the victims are black people.
In the past, such attacks have repeatedly triggered violent protests across the country.
Unlike, for example, George Floyd, who was killed in 2020, the alleged perpetrators in this case are also black.
bbr/dpa/AFP
