The Memphis (Tennessee) Prosecutor's Office could announce this Thursday criminal charges for the death of Tire Nichols, a 29-year-old black man who died three days after being stopped on January 7 at a traffic control, according to the CNN news network. .
Five officers, also black, were fired, accused of being "directly responsible" for "physical abuse" of Nichols, Police Chief CJ Davis said on Wednesday.
The Prosecutor's Office will wait for the charges to be presented to release, as requested by Nichols' family, the video of the brutal beating he received.
Nichols' relatives show his intubated image. Gerald Herbert / AP
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he wants to complete as many interviews as possible to ensure that the images will not influence those connected to the case when they see the light of day.
"If there are suspects or persons of interest and they see the video, then theoretically they could tailor their statements to law enforcement based on what they've seen," Mulroy said. "Even witnesses who are not suspects or persons of interest, it's easy for them to get confused, and instead of talking to law enforcement about what they themselves remember, they may start to confuse it with what they saw on TV," he said.
[Judge allows video of attack on Pelosi's husband to be released]
Nichols' family viewed the footage on Monday.
His spokesman assured that in them the young man, a FedEx employee and father of a family, can be seen receiving an electric shock, being sprayed with pepper spray and restrained while being stopped at a traffic control near his home, where he was returning after taking photos of the sunset in a park.
The police version suggests that Nichols was arrested for reckless driving.
The next day, police said in a statement that "a confrontation ensued" as officers approached the car and Nichols broke into a run.
The man was hit, but "another confrontation ensued" as he was taken into custody.
Police stated that Nichols complained of shortness of breath and was taken to a hospital, where he died three days later.
They reveal images of the modified pistol with which the Monterey Park massacre was executed
Jan 26, 202301:13
Lawyers for the family say officers beat Nichols for three minutes in a "savage" move that reminded them of the 1991 Los Angeles police beating of Rodney King.
Relatives of Nichols, who agreed to prosecutors' request to wait a week or two to release the video, have accused police of giving him a heart attack and kidney failure.
Authorities have only said that he suffered a medical emergency.
[Police gun down a man who shot at a helicopter]
"As I told the family, our federal investigation may take some time. These things often are," U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz told a news conference. "But we will be diligent and make decisions based on the facts and the law," he promised.
They demand greater police mobilization for the disappearance of a Latina mother in Boston
Jan 26, 202300:38
Nichols' death has led to three police investigations.
One ended Friday and led to the firing of the five officers involved in the arrest, identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn
CJ
Davis said officers violated department policies by using excessive force and failing in their duties to intervene and provide assistance.
All five were hired between 2017 and 2020.
Federal authorities announced their own investigations this week, while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is also looking into whether officers used excessive force.
