MEMPHIS, Tenn. — State and local lawmakers held a press conference Saturday in Memphis after the gruesome video showing Tyre Nichols’ has been released.
State Representative Joe Towns Jr. hosted the press conference.
The videos, which consists of both body cam footage and street surveillance footage, were made public by the city of Memphis Friday evening.
Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said Friday morning that she wasn’t prepared for what she saw.
“In my 36 years in law enforcement, I don’t think I have witnessed the disregard for a human being displayed in this video,” Davis said.
Five now-former Memphis Police officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired for misconduct, indicted by a grand jury Thursday and taken into custody.
Each is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and official oppression. By Friday morning, they had posted bond.
Police stopped Nichols near his home in the Hickory Hill neighborhood around 8:22 p.m. Jan. 7. There was an altercation between Nichols and several officers and pepper spray was deployed, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said.
