BUFFALO, N.Y. — The City of Buffalo said Friday that it is preparing for any possible protests or demonstrations in response to the bodycam video that will be released in Memphis.
Authorities on Friday were set to release police video depicting five Memphis officers beating a Black man, Tyre Nichols, whose death resulted in murder charges and provoked outrage at the country’s latest instance of police brutality.
Family members of Nichols pleaded for any protests to remain peaceful.
The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes in the killing of Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a Jan. 7 confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia says he was briefed on the timeline during a conference call with the Major City Chiefs Association. He says Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis was among those on the call.
Davis described the officers' actions as “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” and said Friday that her department has been unable to substantiate the reckless driving allegation that prompted the stop.
Gramaglia says his department is monitoring the situation there, and is ready to respond to any reaction here in Buffalo.
"We obviously encourage our community to peacefully assemble," Gramaglia said Friday. "If they are planning to assemble, to be very peaceful about it, we will stand with them. And we certainly are not going to allow anything to occur of any kind of damage. ... That's not going to solve anything, that's not going to help anything."
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says a letter was sent to community partners, including block club leaders, business owners, and clergy members, about the video release.
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