Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old African-American resident of Memphis, met his end due to injuries on January 10, 2023, following an altercation with the Memphis Police Department for suspected reckless driving.
At present, five police officers have been dismissed from their duties for their involvement in Nichols’ demise. They are accused of violating the police force’s guidelines on the use of force.
Following an internal investigation, five officers from the Memphis Police Department have been terminated and are now facing criminal charges, including second-degree murder allegations.
Initial findings from an independent autopsy revealed that Nichols sustained severe injuries before his passing.
Three days after the confrontation with the Memphis Police Department officers due to reckless driving, Nichols was admitted to the hospital and succumbed to his injuries.
Reports indicate that Nichols attempted to escape on foot but was subsequently apprehended; three days following his arrest, on January 10, he succumbed to undisclosed injuries.
Nichols was swiftly hospitalized after complaining of breathing difficulties. The autopsy report indicated that he suffered a fractured neck and a heart attack due to the violence inflicted by the police officers.
Showing Nichols with swollen eyes and blood on his face, his family released a photograph. Memphis authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the cause of Nichols’ death.
However, the family’s legal representatives, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci, have stated that an independent autopsy revealed extensive internal bleeding in the 29-year-old.
Conducted by a nationally renowned forensic pathologist, the autopsy uncovered that Nichols’ injuries and beatings were in line with what his family and attorney witnessed in the bodycam footage. Additional findings and details from the autopsy will be disclosed later.
As per the Associated Press, Tyre Nicholas’ body cam footage was described by his family lawyer Benjamin Crump as deeply disturbing on all accounts.
In an interview, Nichols’s family members expressed that “they are angry, they are hurt, they are distraught, and want the officers involved to be charged with murder.”
The Memphis Police Department has not issued specific details about the incident. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Justice Department are probing into Tyre Nichols’ case.
