MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nearly four months after the traffic stop which led to the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis on Jan. 7, members of his family, and their attorneys, were able to see the full autopsy report, revealing his cause of death.
The Shelby County D.A.’s office told Tyre's family he died of brain injuries from blunt force trauma, and his manner of death was homicide, according to ABC Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts, who was in the room with the family when they heard the long-awaited report.
The D.A.'s office told the Nichols family that the autopsy will soon be released publicly.
According to Pitts, Nichols' alcohol level was .049, well less than the legal limit to drive, and trace amounts of marijuana in his system, a direct contradiction to what his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said first responders initially told her.
Wells has maintained that she was told Tyre was drunk and high at the time of the incident, however the autopsy refutes he was intoxicated.
In addition, police officers can be heard in released body camera footage saying, of Tyre, “he high as a kite.”
The Wells’ attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci released this statement following the autopsy results:
The legal team representing the family of Tyre Nichols acknowledges the release of the medical examiner's report, the contents of which are highly consistent with our own reporting back in January of this year. We know now what we knew then.
Tyre Nichols died from blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide. The official autopsy report further propels our commitment to seeking justice for this senseless tragedy.