Memphis releases video of Tyre Nichols’ deadly beating by police officers

Memphis police released footage of five black officers beating Nichols on January 7, who died three days later after being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving

President Biden said he was ‘outraged’ after seeing the video and appealed for calm as several US cities braced for protests against police brutality

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Tyre Nichols on the ground during a brutal attack by five police officers in Memphis on January 7. Photo: City of Memphis via AP

Published: 10:07am, 28 Jan 2023Updated: 1:29pm, 28 Jan 2023

The US city of Memphis on Friday released graphic video footage depicting the fatal police assault of a 29-year-old black man, as cities nationwide braced for a night of protests against police brutality.

Five Memphis officers, also all black, were charged with second-degree murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols, who died in hospital on January 10 three days after being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving.

The lengthy video footage from police body cameras shows a group of officers detaining Nichols, attempting to take him down with the use of a taser, then giving chase as he evades them.

Subsequent segments – the footage runs about an hour in total, and is audio-only in parts – show Nichols crying out for his mother, and moaning as officers repeatedly kick and punch him.

In one extremely graphic video, officers are seen aiming several kicks at Nichols’ face. After pulling him up, they deliver five punches to his face. When he falls to the ground they aim two more kicks at his face.

US President Joe Biden declared himself “outraged and deeply pained” by the footage, saying it “will leave people justifiably outraged.”