Source: Mykola Romanovskyy / Getty
There is an ethical dilemma around the graphic video released by Memphis Police Department of five Black officers beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols—and that’s whether or not it is appropriate to see it.
Nichols was pulled over during a Jan. 7 traffic stop and died three days later.
Some prominent Black voices want audiences to see the brutality inflicted on Nichols, while others like the co-founder and CEO of Therify, James Edward Murray, are urging people they “do not have to watch the Tyre Nichols video,” saying “for the sake of my own mental well-being, I will not be watching it.”
Tyre Nichols is the modern-day Rodney King: a non-resisting Black man who was pepper sprayed and pummeled by officers with batons while the whole incident was being recorded. NBC News reported that Nichols cried out for his mother.
Police bodycam shows five police officers stopping Nichols inside his car.
For an unexplained reason, officers decided to shout demands and yank the young man to the ground.
Amid the police cussing and threatening to kill Nichols, the 29-year-old FedEx worker broke free and fled the scene.
Police, however, caught up with Nichols and took turns jumping him while he screamed, “mom,” Associated Press video revealed.
The video was released the following Friday, with news organizations, including MSNBC and Fox News, giving disclaimers that the police body camera video would undoubtedly offend the audience.
The video in question is so explicit – yet, it is widely publicized and discussed on social media – Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, whose police career specializes in Black law enforcement, reflexively felt the need to tell the public on Wednesday to protest peacefully in response to the video, The New York Post reported.
“I expect you to feel what the Nichols family feels,” Davis said. “I expect you to feel outrage[d] in the disregard of basic human rights, as our police officers have taken an oath to do the opposite of what transpired on the video.”
“I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand action and results,” she continued. “But we need to ensure our community is safe in this process. None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or our citizens.”
The officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmit Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have been fired, and each was charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, USA Today reported.
The response after the video release has also prompted the Memphis PD to disband the special unit the former officers were involved in, code name “Scorpion,” Chicago Tribune reported.
CNN reports that ex-officers could face between 15 and 60 years in jail if convicted.
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