Five police officers were charged and jailed Thursday, January 26 for murder following the death in early January of an African-American, a few days after an arrest that his family considers brutal, in the south of the United States, according to court documents.
These police officers from Memphis, a large city in Tennessee, all African-Americans, are the subject of several charges, including murder, assault and kidnapping, according to the Shelby County prison register.
“Beaten” to the point of being “unrecognizable”
On January 7, police wanted to arrest Tire Nichols, a 29-year-old African-American, for a traffic violation.
As officers approached, a “
confrontation occurred
” and “
the suspect fled
,” law enforcement said in a statement.
Tire Nichols was eventually arrested but complained of having difficulty breathing, and was hospitalized.
He died three days later.
The details of this arrest are not yet clear: a video of the facts exists, but it has not yet been made public.
But according to lawyers for Tire Nichols' family, "
the police beat him to the point where he was unrecognizable
".
“
It is a pure and simple beating, without interruption, of this young man for three minutes
”, declared Me Antonio Romanucci.
Read alsoPrison closed for two police officers who remained passive during the murder of George Floyd
Lawyers for the victim's family, including the famous Ben Crump, welcomed the indictment of the police.
This news “
gives us hope as we continue to demand justice for Tyre
,” they commented.
A press conference by the prosecutor is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. GMT) in Memphis.
The case finds a particular echo in a country still marked by the death of George Floyd, in May 2020, and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, against racism and police violence, which had followed.
The five officers charged were fired last week.
The internal police investigation had shown that they had used excessive force.
Other officers are still under investigation.
A “heinous” act
The officers involved are "
directly responsible for the physical abuse committed on Mr. Nichols
," Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said Wednesday, saying it was "
not just a professional error, but of a lack of humanity
.
“
This act was heinous, irresponsible and inhumane.
The video of the arrest, which was shown to Tyre Nichols' family, is expected to be released in the coming days.
“
I expect you to be outraged
” by seeing these images, admitted Cerelyn Davis.
Deeming the organization of demonstrations also likely, the police chief called not to “
incite violence or destruction
”.
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