Protesters demand justice for Tyre Nichols as brutal bodycam footage is released

Angelina Velasquez
·4 min read
Tyre Nichols protest
Memphis Reacts To Release Of Police Body Cam Video Of Tyre Nichols' Arrest Prior To His Death Days Later

Outraged citizens poured into the streets of Memphis and several other cities across the country on Friday (Jan. 27) after police released bodycam and surveillance footage of five cops brutally beating Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop.

The heartbreaking videos showed former Memphis officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith as they kicked, punched, pepper sprayed, tased and battered him with their batons. Nichols, 29, suffered from cardiac arrest and kidney failure. He passed away three days later. The five disgraced patrolmen were terminated and charged with second-degree murder, assault and kidnapping.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, Nichols’ mother and stepfather, held a press conference on Friday alongside their attorney Ben Crump. They pleaded for protesters not to cause destruction as they gathered. “I want each and every one of you to protest in peace,” said RowVaughn. “I don’t want us burning up our city, tearing up the streets because that is not what my son stood for. If you guys are here for Tyre and me, then you will protest peacefully,” added the grief-stricken mother.

“We want peace. We do not want any type of uproar. We do not want any type of disturbance. We want peaceful protests, that’s what the family wants. We need to do this peacefully,” Rodney added.

According to NBC News, scores of demonstrators were observed with signs that read “The people demand: End police terror” and “Justice for Tyre Nichols. Jail killer cops!” in Nichols’ hometown, as well as Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Detroit and other cities.

Government officials braced for the worst, with many calling in the National Guard, deploying police in riot gear, and some, like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, declaring a state of emergency. In the end, only a handful of people were arrested in connection with the protests across the country.

View clips of protesters gathered across the country below.