The family of Tyre Nichols spoke out Monday, Jan. 23, hours after viewing video footage of Nichols’ fatal interaction with Memphis Police officers.

Notable civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, addressed the media at Mt. Olive Cathedral CME Church in Downtown Memphis on Monday afternoon. He was flanked by Nichols’ mother and stepfather, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells.

Officer involved in Tyre Nichols’ death previously accused of brutality

Crump said Nichols’ mother was unable to watch more than one minute of the video footage.

“What we can tell you about this video is it is appalling,” Crump said. “It is deplorable. It is heinous. It is violent. It is troublesome on every level.”

The speakers said Nichols can be heard asking, “What did I do?” in the video. According to the family and their attorneys, “multiple officers participated in the beating.” Some were in unmarked vehicles but all wore uniforms.

The video shows Nichols being kicked and other “multiple uses of force” being used against him, according to the family and their attorneys. He was also pepper sprayed and restrained. They could not reveal additional information, because the case is under investigation.

Crump said the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has asked the family and its legal representatives to be “patient” for one or two weeks as the criminal investigation continues. 

“They just want to be sure they can give this family what they want most. And that is justice,” Crump said. “You should not be killed because of a simple traffic stop.”

Nichols, 29, was stopped by Memphis Police officers Jan. 7 near the intersection of Raines and Ross Roads in southeast Memphis. He died on Jan. 10 from injuries sustained in the incident.

“When I walked in that hospital room, my son was already dead,” Nichols’ mother said. “They put him on the breathing machine just for my satisfaction, I guess. My son died January 7th. Doctors pulled the plug on January 10th.”

The Memphis Police Department and City Administration issued a statement following the Monday meeting with Nichols’ family, saying they were fully cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. 

“Transparency remains a priority in this incident, and a premature release could adversely impact the criminal investigation and the judicial process,” MPD Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said. “We are working with the District Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate time to release video recordings publicly.”

The DA’s office also released a statement Monday that said it expects the video’s release “this week or next.”

“Transparency is a priority for the DA’s Office, and we understand the public’s desire for immediate release,” the statement said. “However, it’s important that the release does not compromise the investigation. We’re working with the TBI and FBI to expedite that investigation and are consulting regularly with the City of Memphis about the video’s release, which we expect will occur this week or next.”

On Friday, MPD announced it fired the five officers who were involved in the brutality against Nichols.

During Monday’s press conference, Crump said Chief Davis was “a Black woman, a Black mother, who was very emotional when she talked with Ms. Wells. ... Davis had tears in her eyes and said she was not proud of what they were about to see in that video,” he said.

“What we saw, regrettably, it reminded us of the Rodney King video,” Crump said. “Unlike Rodney King, Tyre didn’t survive. I don’t know if this makes Miss RowVaughn feel any better, but the last words on the video, (Tyre Nichols) is only 80 to 100 yards from his house, and he calls for his mom three times,” Crump said.

Attorney Antonio Romanucci, who is representing the family with Crump, questioned why “an organized unit” of MPD is making “a racist traffic stop.”

“He was defenseless the entire time,” Romanucci said. “He was a human piñata for those police officers. It was an unadulterated, unabashed nonstop beating of this boy for three minutes.

“We left that meeting very confidently saying we’re encouraged they’re going to do the right thing.”

Romanucci said they plan to pursue litigation. 

Speaking to the crowd, Rodney and RowVaughn Wells described Nichols as a hardworking “beautiful soul” who loved his son, Starbucks, skateboarding, photography and sunsets. 

“My son … I know everyone says their son was good but my son actually was a good boy,” RowVaughn Wells said.

Rodney Wells said he expects protests, if there are any, to be peaceful.

“Violence will not bring him back,” Rodney Wells said.

Following the press conference, activists stood outside the DA’s office demanding charges be brought on the officers involved in Nichols’ death. 

From skateboarders at City Hall to NCRM, Nichols’ death mourned

Earlier in the day Monday, people from the local skateboarding community skated in support of Nichols in front of City Hall in Downtown Memphis. 

Kameron Blakely was doing 360 flips, hard flips, fakie big spins, kick flips, and fakie 360 flips on the sidewalk in front of City Hall bordering North Main Street. 

“Every trick I land is for that man,” Blakely said. 

Even though he did not know Nichols, Blakely said he felt “mitigated rage” about what happened.

“From what I’ve seen, he seemed like a cool kid,” Blakeley said. “He reminds me of this dude I went to high school with that I skated with. So it hits home. I already had another homie that passed away in SoCal – the same thing. Anybody that I tend to meet out here that skateboards, they’re always down for the community and solidarity.”

Connie Dyson, a spokesperson for the National Civil Rights Museum, issued a statement Monday morning calling for justice for Nichols; continued immediacy in investigating his death; and “criminal accountability of the police officers who ended his life,” Dyson said.

“We applaud Police Chief Cerelyn Davis for taking ‘immediate and appropriate action’ in firing the five officers accused in the killing,” Dyson said. “We encourage Chief Davis to determine the best approach to assess past actions and history of all individual police officers for demeanor that may contribute to future deadly excessive force.”