Here Are The Key Questions After Shocking Footage Released

Topline

Shocking body camera video and surveillance footage released Friday night showing the deadly encounter between five Memphis police officers and 29-year-old Tyre Nichols sparked nationwide protests, but also left many key questions unanswered.

Key Facts

Why were five police officers involved in a routine traffic stop? Five Memphis police officers responded to what they called a routine traffic stop and a “confrontation” with Nichols that led to his arrest on the night of January 7, although Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis told CNN the department was later “unable to substantiate” what occurred prior to the stop.

Why was a special unit involved? It remains unclear why a unit tasked with addressing violent crime was responding to a traffic stop, with attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols’ family, calling for the unit to be disbanded and arguing traffic encounters fall “far outside the units’ stated purpose of stemming violent crime.”

Several of the officers involved were members of the department’s controversial SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in our Neighborhoods) unit—a team already under scrutiny for its use of aggressive tactics—with Davis announcing the unit would be under review, as part of the department’s wider internal probe of Nichols’ arrest.

Why did it turn violent? Police initially said they pulled Nichols over for reckless driving, however a half-hour video from a utility pole camera and three body camera videos show it escalated from what appeared to be a routine traffic stop into a violent altercation, with officers chasing Nichols, who fled on foot, and violently restraining him as he pleaded for safety—CNN law enforcement analyst John Miller described the situation as a failure of police officers to use “arrest and control tactics” and resorting to “brutality”—with Nichols heard telling officers he was “just trying to get home” as he ran from police, before they catch up with him, throwing kicks and punches, and using pepper spray.

What happened before the body cameras started? Although the footage released on Friday contains over an hour of footage, it left unanswered questions about what happened prior to the body cameras rolling, though Davis said the department is taking a “deeper dive” into previous video footage.

Key Background

Memphis city officials released the footage of Nichols’ violent arrest Friday night, revealing what prosecutors argue was a deadly police beating, and what Davis described as “heinous,” a defiance of “humanity,” and “about the same, if not worse” than the violent 1991 police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles that prompted riots. Nichols died of excessive blood loss at a Memphis hospital on January 10, three days after he was pulled over in what police said was a routine traffic stop. The five officers involved, who are also Black, were charged with second-degree murder on Thursday, after being fired by the Memphis Police Department last week, following multiple investigations into the arrest. According to the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, the officers—Taddarius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith—were “directly responsible” for Nichols’ death. The officers also face charges of aggravated assault, official oppression and official misconduct.

Surprising Fact

Davis has asked the Department of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police to look into the department’s own specialized units, VICE News reported.

Tangent

Nichols’ death and the release of the video footage on Friday sparked nationwide protests, including in Memphis, New York City and Los Angeles. Before the footage was made public, Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, urged people to “protest in peace” upon the release of the video, saying it would be “horrific.” President Joe Biden made a similar warning in a statement on Thursday, saying, “outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable.” FBI Director Christopher Wray had also alerted FBI field officers to prepare for the possibility of protests “getting out of hand,” after he saw the video, saying he was “appalled” by what he saw.

Further Reading

Tyre Nichols’ Killing: What We Know About The Investigation Into Memphis Police Officers (Forbes)

Tyre Nichols’ Killing: 5 Memphis Police Officers Charged With Murder (Forbes)

Tyre Nichols Video: Footage Released Of Violent Arrest In Memphis (Forbes)