Tennessee lawmakers urge ‘accountability’ for Tyre Nichols after police video release

Tennessee lawmakers on Friday evening known as for “accountability” within the loss of life of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, after Memphis authorities launched video footage from the arrest that resulted in his deadly accidents earlier this month.

“Like so many throughout our state and nation, I’m deeply disturbed by the video footage launched this night,” Sen. Invoice Hagerty (R-Tenn.) stated in an announcement, including, “The prison justice system should swiftly pursue accountability.”

Hagerty stated he has requested the Division of Justice and FBI to maintain him up to date on their investigations into the incident and urged for a “full, impartial investigation to find out what occurred and the right way to forestall such misconduct from ever taking place once more.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) echoed the sentiment, including that she had additionally been in touch with the Justice Division.

“I’m assured the Memphis Police Division and State of Tennessee will conduct a radical investigation,” she added in an announcement.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was pulled over by Memphis police on Jan. 10. The footage launched on Friday confirmed that police pepper-sprayed, tased and beat him through the encounter.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who represents a part of Memphis, stated it was “overwhelming” watching the video on Friday.

“It’s clear that Tyre Nichols died due to the brutality and callous disregard, actually an appalling lack of humanity, of the Memphis law enforcement officials,” Cohen stated in an announcement. 

“From the primary encounter with the police, it’s clear this was about ego,” he added. “There was no respect for Tyre Nichols and no reply to his easy query asking what he’d performed. They weren’t there to serve and shield, and even to apprehend; they had been there to punish and dominate.”

Cohen additionally criticized the officers for failing to supply help to Nichols when he was “clearly terribly damage.”

“They leaned him in opposition to a automotive and left him whereas they chatted and typically even laughed,” Cohen stated. “They had been apathetic and callous about his accidents. They had been in no hurry to render help to the person they’d crushed.”

5 law enforcement officials had been fired final week over Nichols’ loss of life and had been charged with second-degree homicide on Thursday.