Mostly peaceful protests over police brutality were carried out around the country after the public release of body camera footage brought the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols into clearer picture.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black motorist, was pulled over Jan. 7 for what police said was reckless driving. After attempting to flee on foot, Nichols was aggressively beaten by police, newly released police video shows. Three days later, he died in the hospital.
Here's what else we know.
Who was Tyre Nichols?
Nichols, a father of a 4-year-old son, was known to his family as an avid skateboarder and nature photographer from Sacramento, Calif., according to The Associated Press. He arrived in Memphis just before the pandemic, and later started a job with FedEx, a major employer there. Nichols had been with the company for about nine months before his death, The New York Times reported.
"He was one of those people who made everyone around them happy," Nichols' step-grandmother Lucille Washington said at a memorial service.
Police bodycam video shows a violent arrest
Police said on Jan. 8 that Nichols was taken into custody after a traffic stop that involved two confrontations with officers. During the initial confrontation, Nichols fled the scene of the traffic stop, police said.
Following the arrest, Nichols then complained of shortness of breath, according to authorities, and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he died on Jan. 10.
![A young Black man speaks into a loudspeaker with a young Black woman standing behind him holding a sign that reads "Stop Police Terror."](https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1460149255-800x534.jpg)
His family has said the police beat him so severely that he was unrecognizable.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said in a statement earlier this week that it understood the "reasonable request from the public" to view the video of Nichols' death.
The city of Memphis released the four-part footage on Vimeo on Friday evening.
In the videos, officers are seen dragging Nichols from his car and shouting profanities throughout the confrontation. An officer tries to deploy a Taser at Nichols and then begins to chase him on foot. "I'm just trying to go home," Nichols is heard saying. Later, officers are seen repeatedly kicking, punching and using a baton to strike Nichols as he lies on the ground. At one point he's heard yelling "Mom." Lawyers for the Nichols family say this encounter happened within 100 yards of the family's home.
Ben Crump, the family's attorney, compared the footage to the video of the 1991 Los Angeles police beating of Rodney King, another Black motorist.
Protests were held in several cities following release of police video
Mostly peaceful protests broke out in cities across the U.S. following the release of the videos, with demonstrators leading marches and chants against police brutality and shutting down highways and intersections in some cities.
In Memphis, a group of demonstrators gathered at a downtown park and then took to the streets, shutting down the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River between Memphis and West Memphis. They chanted "no justice, no peace" and "justice for Tyre," closing the bridge for nearly three hours before peacefully disbanding.
![Crowd of protestors of different races rallying with three people in front with fists in the air.](https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/01/GettyImages-1246604504-800x534.jpg)
In other parts of Memphis, people gathered in churches or small groups to reflect on the wrenching and somber moment for the city.
A protest in downtown Los Angeles became tense when a small group protesters demonstrated outside of Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, which was blocked by police in riot gear, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Other small, but mostly peaceful protests, were also held in Times Square in New York City, near the White House in Washington, D.C., in Seattle, Detroit and Atlanta, as well as in other cities from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Organizers are planning vigils, marches and demonstrations across the U.S. over the weekend.
Five former officers were indicted and jailed in connection to Nichols' death
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith each face several charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Like Nichols, all of the former officers — who were fired before Thursday's indictments — are Black.