MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
As the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) looks into whether Memphis police used deadly force on 29-year-old Tyre Nichols while trying to arrest him, loved ones and community members were protesting outside of the Ridgeway Police precinct on Saturday.
These attendees, including Nichols' sister, said they want accountability.
"His life was cut short," she said. "He was just trying to figure things out."
Police say Nichols told officers he was short of breath before medics took him to the hospital in critical condition.
Rodney Wells is Nichols' stepfather, present at the protest.
"You shouldn’t be on a dialysis machine looking like this because of a traffic stop," Wells said, pointing to a picture of Nichols with tubes running through his nose and throat. "That's inhumane."
The case has drawn the attention of the NAACP, who released a statement that they "will keep close watch of this matter along with General Mulroy," who initially requested the TBI to look into the situation.
MPD communicated the events as follows: Around 8:30 p.m. Memphis police attempted to make a traffic stop for reckless driving in the area of Raines Road and Ross Road. MPD then communicated that a confrontation occurred in the area of Raines Road and Ross Road when officers approached the driver of the vehicle. The suspect ran away before a second confrontation then took place, according to MPD.
The driver of the vehicle told officers he was short of breath before being transported to St. Francis hospital in critical condition, according to MPD.
The TBI said Nichols died Tuesday.
While the officers involved will be routinely relieved of duty pending the outcome of TBI's investigation, many questions remain. The family said Saturday they want the release of police body camera footage.
"We’re calling on district attorney Steve Mulroy and we’re calling the chief of police here in Memphis to give this family transparency," one community member said during Saturday's protest. “The family has not even seen the police report. They have no knowledge of actually what happened. The only knowledge that they have is that their son is dead.”
Nichols' loved ones said running should not be a death sentence.
"If you get pulled over by police, if it’s a ticket — it’s a ticket," Nichols' sister said. “A traffic stop is supposed to be a traffic stop for anybody.”