Protests and public outrage spark across the U.S. after the release of multiple videos by the Memphis Police Department showing officers punching, kicking, and pepper spraying Tyre Nichols as a result of running away from a traffic stop, which resulted him dying in the hospital three days later after the incident.
Tyre Nichols protests
Protests over the killing of Tyre Nichols began on January 27, 2023, following the release of police body camera and surveillance footage showing five Black officers from the Memphis Police Department beating Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man. The police assault on Nichols occurred on January 7, 2023, and he died three days later in a hospital. The five officers were subsequently fired and charged with second-degree murder. Protests first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee, and spread to several cities in the United States. Protesters demanded legal accountability for the officers responsible for Nichols death and for the enactment of police-reform measures.
Memphis Police Department
The Memphis Police Department is a law enforcement agency in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States.
Killing of Tyre Nichols
On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, was fatally injured by five black police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, and died three days later. The officers, all members of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) SCORPION unit, pulled Nichols from his car before pepper spraying and tasering him. Nichols broke free and ran toward his mother's house, which was less than a mile (1.6 km) away. The officers caught up with Nichols near the house, where they punched, kicked and pepper sprayed him and struck him with a baton. Medics called to the scene did not administer emergency care until 16 minutes after arriving. Nichols was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
January 27
January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 338 days remain until the end of the year.