More protests took place in US cities on Saturday, a day after a disturbing video of Tire Nichols’ fatal beating was made public. It led to the disbandment of the specialized police unit that included the five Memphis officers charged in Nichols’ death.
After the police chief met with Nichols’ family, local officials and other officers department announced in a statement that the Scorpion unit would be indefinitely disbanded.
The five officers were all identified as members of the unit by a police spokesman. After a traffic stop on Jan. 7, Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, was kicked, punched and beaten with a baton by officers near where his mother lives.
The incident was captured on video by police cameras and a camera mounted on a utility pole. He died of his injuries three days after being taken to hospital. On Thursday, the five black police officers who took part in the beating were charged with murder, assault, kidnapping and other crimes.
Everyone in that division has been fired. Protesters were urged to remain peaceful despite the outburst of anger and grief from Nichols’ loved ones and government officials.
For more information on Tire Nichols and the circumstances surrounding his brutal beating at the hands of the police, visit this link: Who Is Tire Nichols: What Happened To Him In Memphis?
Protests erupted in Memphis and elsewhere on Friday, with the majority of people complying with organizers’ request for peaceful demonstrations. Repetitive, peaceful protests took place in cities across the United States on Saturday.
Hundreds of protesters met in Washington Square Park before marching through the streets of Manhattan, escorted by rows of police officers. The four videos made public on Friday show police brutally beating Nichols despite the fact that he poses no threat.
Nichols’ death stands out in the latest high-profile case of police brutality against black people and other minorities. For more latest news: Stay tuned to our official Facebook page and you will soon be among the first to know about the latest news.
