Tyre Nichols video to be released after 6 p.m. Friday

Lucas Finton and Katherine Burgess, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy briefs reporters on Jan. 26, 2023, on the indictment of five former Memphis Police officers in the deaths of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.

The video showing the interaction between five Memphis Police officers and Tyre Nichols will be released by the City of Memphis sometime after 6 p.m. Friday, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said Thursday afternoon.

Mulroy said that while the release is up to the City of Memphis, it is his understanding that the video will be a combination of body camera video and SkyCop video. Some of the video will be redacted, Mulroy said.

Read More:Tense Memphis mourns Tyre Nichols, awaits release of video

What happened in that video is “absolutely appalling,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, said.

“We are here to pursue truth and justice, realizing that we should not be here. Simply put, this shouldn’t have happened. I’ve been policing for more than 30 years, I’ve devoted my life to this profession and I’m grieved. Frankly I’m shocked. I’m sickened by what I saw and through our extensive and thorough investigation,” Rausch said. “What happened here does not at all reflect proper policing. This was wrong. This was criminal.”

Earlier Thursday, the five former Memphis Police Department officers tied to the death of 29-year-old Nichols were booked at the Shelby County Jail and indicted in Nichols’ death.

Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, Jr. are charged with one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault-acting in concert, aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression, court records show.

In the news conference Thursday afternoon, Mulroy said his office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation worked “swiftly but also fairly” to expedite the process of indicting the officers. That process included meeting with the Nichols family to discuss the pending charges.

The charges come just under a week after five officers from the Memphis Police Department were fired for their involvement in the traffic stop that precipitated Tyre Nichols' death over two weeks ago. Nichols died Jan. 10, three days after a traffic stop near his mother's home and after what Memphis Police called a "confrontation."

Since then, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis said an unspecified number of other officers are under investigation for violations of department policy. Davis also said that an independent investigation will take place to look into MPD's specialized units.

According to a statement from the Memphis Police Department, officers pulled Nichols over around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 7 and a "confrontation" ensued. Nichols eventually ran away, but was later arrested. Officers said another "confrontation" happened at that point, but he had already been detained.

It was after this that police say Nichols "complained of a shortness of breath," and was taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition.

He died three days later from his injuries.

Lucas Finton is a news reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tyre Nichols traffic stop video to be released Friday