Obamas call on communities to "reimagine public safety" after Nichols' "vicious, unjustified beating"
From CNN's Sonnet Swire
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama called on Americans to "reimagine public safety" in response to Tyre Nichols' fatal encounter with Memphis police.
"The vicious, unjustified beating of Tyre Nichols and his ultimate death at the hands of five Memphis police officers is just the latest, painful reminder of how far America still has to go in fixing how we police our streets," the Obamas said in a joint statement on Twitter, which included a selfie of Nichols.
"Along with mourning Tyre and supporting his family, it’s up to all of us to mobilize for lasting change,” the Obamas wrote Saturday, calling on communities to “reimagine public safety to prevent both crime and injustice.”
NFL pledges to combat injustice and inequity after "senseless" death of Nichols
From CNN's Kevin Dotson
Following the death of Tyre Nichols and the release Friday of the arrest video showing his beating at the hands of Memphis Police Department officers, the NFL issued a statement Saturday.
“We remain deeply committed to combating the injustices and inequities that plague our society,” it said.
See the tweet:
Nichols' family was unaware sheriff's deputies were present during police encounter, attorney says
From CNN’s Mark Morales and Shimon Prokupecz in Memphis
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the family of Tyre Nichols did not know there were two members of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at the scene where the beating took place earlier this month.
“This was the first they heard of it,” Crump told CNN Saturday.
Two deputies with the sheriff's office were put on leave pending an investigation, CNN previously reported. Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. released a statement Friday night saying he made the decision after viewing the video for the first time.
Democratic state lawmakers representing Memphis area plan to file police reform bills
From CNN’s Hannah Sarisohn
A pair of Democratic state lawmakers intend to file police reform legislation ahead of the Tennessee General Assembly’s Tuesday filing deadline, the lawmakers said Saturday.
The announcement comes the morning after officials released video of Tyre Nichols' deadly police encounter.
The bills will seek to address mental health care for law enforcement officers, hiring, training, discipline practices and other topics, Rep. G.A. Hardaway, who represents a portion of Memphis and Shelby County, said.
Rep. Joe Towns Jr., who also represents a portion of Memphis, said legislation could pass through the state house as early as April or May.
While Democrats hold the minority with 24 representatives compared to the Republican majority of 99 representatives, Towns said this legislation is not partisan and should pass on both sides of the legislature.
“You would be hard-pressed to look at this footage (of Tyre Nichols) and see what happened to that young man, OK, and not want to do something. If a dog in this county was beaten like that, what the hell would happen?” Towns said.
Hardaway addressed some of the unanswered questions remaining after watching the video of Nichols’ violent traffic stop and beating.
“It makes no sense to have an elite, supposedly elite unit, on the streets, and yet we can’t figure out who that (SCORPION) unit answers to. How was a car chase initiated when the protocols in nearly every law enforcement agency in the nation demands that you go up the ranks and notify your superior that you’re participating, or about to participate in a car chase?” Hardaway said.
The lawmaker said he thinks there’s more to the story, and that the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County deserve to know the “whole story as soon as possible.”
“You can’t have an effective law enforcement agency operating in Memphis, Tennessee, and Shelby County, unless you have the trust of Memphians and Shelby Countians,” Hardaway said. “You can’t gain the trust of Memphians and Shelby Countians unless you’re truthful, and you can’t be truthful if you’re not transparent.”
Both Hardaway and Towns praised the peaceful nature of local protests Friday night, which is what Nichols’ mother asked for ahead of the video release.
More protests scheduled today after officials release video of Tyre Nichols' violent arrest
From CNN's Nouran Salahieh and Elizabeth Hartfield
Protesters across the US are preparing to march and rally Saturday, one day after the release of video showing the horrific police beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee.
The graphic video of Nichols' violent arrest drew outrage from across the country. Protests formed Friday night, with people in several cities taking to the streets and raising signs bearing Nichols’ name.
Saturday’s marches and rallies are expected in Memphis; Boston; Baltimore; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake City; Athens, Georgia; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Sacramento; Portland and Columbus, Ohio, among other cities. Most will occur in the afternoon or evening.
Friday's demonstrations: In Memphis, protesters shut down the Interstate 55 bridge near downtown, chanting, “no justice, no peace,” according to a CNN team on the scene. There were no arrests stemming from the night's demonstration, police said.
Protesters near Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta repeated Nichols’ name and demanded justice.
In New York, skirmishes broke out between several protesters and police officers as demonstrators crowded Times Square, video posted to social media shows. Three demonstrators were arrested, one of whom was seen jumping on the hood of a police vehicle and breaking the windshield, the New York Police Department said.
Protesters also gathered in Washington, DC, at Lafayette Square to demand justice for Nichols, according to social media video.
Along the West Coast, protesters marched in Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California, carrying signs that read, “Justice for Tyre Nichols” and “jail killer cops.” Demonstrations were also held in downtown Los Angeles.
Loved ones say Tyre Nichols was a family man who enjoyed skateboarding, photography and sunsets
From CNN's Christina Zdanowicz and Jaide Timm-Garcia
Tyre Nichols was a father, a man who loved his mama and a free-spirited soul who was looking for a new life in Memphis, Tennessee, loved ones say.
That life was tragically cut short earlier this month after a violent arrest by five officers with the Memphis Police.
Now, as attention turns to charges for the officers involved, Nichols’ family wants the world to know the man he was.
The 29-year-old was the baby of his family, the youngest of four children. He was a “good boy” who spent his Sundays doing laundry and getting ready for the week, his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said.
Above all else, Nichols loved being a father and loved his son, his family said.
“Everything he was trying to do was to better himself as a father for his 4-year-old son,” attorney Ben Crump said at a family news conference.
Nichols was someone who brought everyone joy.
“When he comes through the door, he wants to give you a hug,” Crump said, speaking on behalf of Nichols’ family.
Nichols’ daily life was ordinary at times, as he worked and spent time with family, but he also made time for his passions, his mom said.
Nichols worked the second shift at FedEx, where he had been employed for about nine months, she said.
He came home during his break to eat with his mom, who would have dinner cooked.
Nichols loved his mom’s homemade chicken, made with sesame seeds, just the way he liked it, Wells said.
When he wasn’t working, Nichols headed to Shelby Farms Park to skateboard, something he had been doing since he was 6 years old. He would wake up on Saturdays to go skate or sometimes, he’d go to the park to enjoy the sunset and snap photos of it, his mom said.
“My son every night wanted to go and look at the sunset, that was his passion,” she said.
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Memphis council member expresses hope that "the system is going to get it right this time"
Memphis City Council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas said it's possible that protests in the city remained calm after the release of the Tyre Nichols video last night because there is more optimism about the legal process unfolding.
"I think last night we saw a very peaceful and direct sense of protests in the city of Memphis, and I think that is because maybe we do have faith and hope that the system is going to get it right this time. And I know the colleagues of mine and others that are in the county and on the state level are really going to make sure that we do all that's within our power to make sure this is prevented, that the culture is diminished and that we don't see an incident like this again in Memphis and, hopefully, not elsewhere either," she told CNN's Boris Sanchez.
Easter-Thomas commended police for pausing the specialized unit — which at least two of the officers charged in Nichols’ death were members of — called SCORPION, or Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods. CNN reported Friday that the unit has been inactivated during a review process by the Memphis Police Department.
She said she has asked staff to draft up legislation to disband the unit altogether.
The city council meets in one week, Easter-Thomas added.
"I know that will be a very robust meeting, as we need make sure we review these policies to ensure that the police department knows that we support them, but also want to make sure that they are doing their job with the utmost fidelity," she said.
She added that "it hurts to see" the former officers beat Nichols in the video released Friday evening.
"But it also gave us just more focus to really look at how are we supporting and training the officers — that we have and to really dig deeper and see that it's deeper than appearance, it's deeper than race and relation and how you can connect with someone based on how they look, but really what is your intention for being a police officer," she said.
"It hurt, but it allowed us to really look deeper into what we can really do to change the course of how we are developing and progressing our police department for the entire city of Memphis," she continued.
The video of Tyre Nichols' arrest is violent. Here are some resources to take care of yourself.
From CNN's Jen Christensen
The newly released video of the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols is difficult to watch — but it may also be hard to avoid. Some people might even feel duty-bound to watch it as a way to pay tribute to Nichols, who died three days after the confrontation with officers.
Psychologists say the best approach to care for mental health is to know your limits – and possibly to avoid watching the video altogether.
Research shows that frequent exposure to violent news events can cause negative stress reactions. Even witnessing vicarious violence can raise a person’s sense of anxiety and fear and, in some cases, lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Dr. Erlanger Turner, a psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, said it’s good to do a self-assessment before watching such videos.
“I oftentimes tell people to know yourself before you consume the content, because everybody responds to these types of images differently,” said Turner, who is an expert in the effects of witnessing police violence on social media and on the perception of police bias in communities of color. “Some people can see it and they can be sort of OK. Other people, it could trigger some really strong emotions.”
Talking to kids: Parents and others who care for children may need to prepare for their questions.
Parents should try to anticipate their kids’ response to seeing or hearing about the video and how to talk about it, Turner said. Will the child be numb to it after seeing so many violent images? Will they be upset? Are they going to be afraid for their parents or for themselves?
Here are some places you can find immediate help:
For resources specific to Black wellness:
Memphis police union says it never accepts mistreatment or abuse of power
The Memphis Police Association put out its first statement since officials released video of the violent police beating of Tyre Nichols, expressing condolences to his family and saying the union never condones mistreatment.
"The Memphis Police Association is committed to the administration of justice and NEVER condones the mistreatment of ANY citizen nor ANY abuse of power. We have faith in the Criminal Justice System. That faith is what we will lean on in the coming days, weeks, and months to ensure the totality of circumstances is revealed," it said in a statement on Facebook.
"Mr. Nichols’ family, the City of Memphis, and the rest of the country deserve nothing less. We pray for justice, healing, and eventual closure for all involved," it added.
