MEMPHIS, Tenn. — GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Memphis officials have released the video of the altercation with police that led to the death of Tyre Nichols. The video is partially edited by the City of Memphis in order to protect the identity of third-parties that appear on the video that did not take part in the altercation. This video shows graphic violence and bad language.
The City of Memphis released the video in four separate sections at 6 p.m. Friday, and posted content warnings with each section.
The first shows the initial confrontation with Nichols, who was pepper sprayed and tased before escaping from the officers.
Watch the full video here:
What the full video shows
Officers first stopped Nichols at a traffic light on Ross Road near 8 p.m. on January 7. Two police cruisers, one marked and one unmarked, pulled him out of his car and wrestled him to the ground. Nichols pleaded with officers, asking them "What did I do?" as they shouted at him to get on the ground.
One officer pepper sprayed Nichols, while another pulled out his TAZER gun.
Nichols wrestled himself away from officers and began running. Officers attempted to TAZE him but it's unclear whether their effort was successful. Nichols began running towards the woods near Ross Rd and officers left the scene in their police cruisers.
The second video shows security camera footage from a SkyCop Camera, a series of cameras posted by Memphis Police throughout the city. In the video, officers on top of Nichols who is on the ground, struggling against them. Officers began punching and kicking Nichols. At one point, an officer hit Nichols with a collapseable police baton. Later, officers pull Nichols to his feet, one officer holding each of his arms, as a third officer punches the helpless Nichols.
Other officers on the scene stood by and watched the beating, doing nothing to intervene.
Eventually they set Nichols down with his back against a police cruiser while 9 others mill about the scene. It's not until much later that medical workers arrive on the scene, but none of them rush to help Nichols immediately. Nichols can be seen writhing on the ground, ignored by everyone there.
Finally, Nichols is loaded onto a stretcher, an ambulance pulls into view, and the SkyCop video ends.
Nichols died three days after this encounter with Memphis Police.
Five officers have been charged with second degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official oppression in his death.