Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/MEMPHIS: President of the United States, Joe Biden, is urging protestors in Tennessee to remain peaceful as officials plan to release video of the arrest that led to a motorist’s death.
According to the BBC, the five Memphis police officers have been fired and are facing murder charges after Tyre Nichols died three days after a traffic stop on 7 January 2023. Bodycam footage of the encounter has expected to be released on Friday evening local time. The Black motorist died three days after a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.
Lawyers for the Nichols family said it would show him being severely beaten.
“I’m sickened by what I saw,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) director David Rausch said on Thursday after reviewing the footage. He called the officers’ actions “absolutely appalling”.
Memphis Police Murder Case
Local media said that Memphis is on edge, and police have stepped up patrols in the city center as they prepare for possible demonstrations.
Nichols, the black man, was stopped by 5 police officers, who are also black, on his way home after taking photos of sunset at the local park, an attorney for the family said.
The official says he was suspected of reckless driving.
The lawyer said that after reviewing the footage, it shows Nichols being pepper-sprayed, tasered, kicked and restrained.
All five of the police officers face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
President released a statement on Thursday appealing for calm as authorities prepare to release the footage.
He said that “I join Tyre’s family in calling for peaceful protest,” and “Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable.”
The Memphis police chief had earlier also urged people to remain calm once the clip was made public.
