NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Friday evening, footage of Tyre Nichols’ deadly encounter with Memphis police will be made public. Meanwhile, pastors in Nashville are deciding if they want to watch the video.
Rev. Aaron Marble is feeling a variety of emotions these days.
“It is very difficult and gut wrenching that it is still so very common,” Marble said.
Earlier this month, 29-year-old Nichols was pulled over and allegedly beaten by Memphis officers, sending him to the hospital before he died three days later.
“Traffic stops are too much now turning into death sentences to the civilian, and that’s just not cool,” said Bishop Marcus Campbell. “It’s not cool at all.”
Campbell also sits with a range of emotions.
“It makes you scared as a Black man to go out riding, maybe going from your house to the store,” he said. “You never know what could happen if you get pulled over.”
Over the last several weeks, five former members of the Memphis Police Department have been fired and charged in connection with Nichols’ death, vigils have been held, and the country has been waiting for the body camera footage to be released.
“I have mixed feelings,” said Campbell. “I want to watch (it), but I don’t know if it will make me feel some kind of way.”
Marble, on the other hand, has decided against watching the video once it is made public.
“I think a part of my protest and a part of my resistance is not watching the video,” the reverend said. “We know the man was killed, we know the young man lost his life, and that’s enough for me.”
Campbell knows protests are coming soon and prays things don’t escalate to violence.
“I’m hoping that people won’t tear their own cities up,” he said. “There’s other ways to handle things than to doing that.”
Marble doesn’t want violence either, but he believes everyone hurting should have the opportunity to express that emotion peacefully.
“I do not want people to sit idle if they feel the need to demonstrate in a way that is constructive and meaningful,” he said.
Marble told News 2 he believes there is incremental change happening, but both men agreed the Nichols case further highlights the need for more policy and procedure changes within police departments.