MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — While taking a closer look at the footage of the Tyre Nichols arrest, News 2’s sister station, WREG, spoke with an expert who said the most disturbing part of the video happened after the beating.
The video of Nichols’ arrest has now been seen across the nation and world.
Video shows the now-former Memphis police officers repeatedly kicking, hitting, and pepper spraying Nichols while he cried out for his mom on the ground. All five men have been charged and are out on bond.
Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump said the injuries resulted in Nichols’ death. However, it’s what happened after Nichols was handcuffed that has many people outraged.
“Bruh, I hit that man with so many pieces and he still,” an undetermined officer said in the video.
In the video, it appears the officer takes off his body camera and several of the officers can be heard talking about their role in the beating.
“Listen. Man, I was hitting him with straight ‘inaudible’ dog,” an undetermined officer said in the video.
“Bean was rocking. Then h**l I jump in and start rocking,” an undetermined officer said in the video.
Once the officer puts his camera back on, the conversation changes, while Nichols still sits helplessly in the background.
According to the video, the men claim that Nichols grabbed Emmit Martin III’s gun.
“Look, we got him out the car and was like ‘Ay bruh, you good?’ Motherf**** swung! Bow! Almost hit me,” Martin said.
“Then he reached for Martin’s gun. He slammed into the car and it was on from there,” an undetermined officer said in the video.
WREG sat down with Jake Brown, a Senior Litigation Associate with Apperson Crump, for his professional opinion on the conversation that took place.
“It sounds like guys on a golf course,” Brown said.
Brown is not involved in Nichols’ case, but said he has worked on a number of cases where his client’s constitutional rights were allegedly disregarded by the Memphis Police Department.
“Those officers should have been doing everything in their power to sustain life,” Brown said.
The officers even made claims that Nichols was on drugs, saying he had tremendous strength during the encounter.
At one point in the conversation, you see someone who appears to be Demetrius Haley explaining to another officer the reason for the initial stop.
“He drove into oncoming traffic. So, we tried to like…I mean he literally,” Haley said.
“Oncoming traffic?” Desmond Mills Jr. asked.
“Yes, all into traffic! I’m talking… So, we tried to get him to stop. He didn’t stop. We steadily trying to get him to stop. Hitting the siren ‘Stop, stop, stop, stop.’ That man drove around, swerved like he was finna hit my car,” Haley said.
He then goes on to say Nichols stopped at a red light.
“So, we jump out of the car. Sh** went from there,” Haley said.
According to Brown, officers should have been spending this time rendering aid to Nichols. He said he believes these actions speak directly to the official oppression charge that each former officer faces.
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“A prosecutor who chose to do so could make a lot of weight out of that in terms of intent and mindset,” Brown said.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy has gone on the record saying they are still trying to determine the legitimacy behind the traffic stop.
“When you’ve got a group of people working together like that in a profession that has high professional standards and you have those individuals flagrantly violating those standards that indicate a problem in the culture of the organization,” Brown said.
All five former officers are expected in court on Feb. 17 at 9 am.