Tyre Nichols 

On January 7th, a traffic stop turned violent when 5 police enforcers beat civilian Tyre Nichols to death. Police body cam footage from the incident sparked protests all around the world. The 5 officers involved were swiftly fired and are now being charged with second degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. 

On the night of January 7th, Tyre Nichols was stopped for “reckless driving.” Body cam footage revealed police dragging Tyre out of his car while yelling profanity towards him. They proceeded to kick and beat Tyre with batons. Tyre was left slumped to the ground where a stretcher would arrive half an hour later. Nichols was admitted to the hospital that night but passed away three days later. According to his family Tyre was beaten so badly that he was unrecognizable. Many are comparing this case to that of Rodney King in 1991. 

The 5 officers involved were immediately fired and have been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, they’re to be brought in front of a court on February 17th. On top of this it was found 4 out of the 5 officers had previously been reprimanded, including suspension, during their time with the department. The SCORPION unit that the men were a part of has been disbanded by Memphis police. Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee are planning to introduce some sort of reform bill to the table that can help train police on how to peacefully resolve times like this. 

After the body cam footage came out on Friday January 27, mostly peaceful protests sparked throughout the country. In Memphis, the home of Tyre Nichols, peaceful protestors shut down the I-55 Bridge over the Mississippi River. In Denver, protestors campaigned in front of the state capitol, demanding justice for the Nichols family. Even here in the Valley many are showing their opinions. With Junior at Palisade, Ava Fricke, saying, “I think it just shows a problem in the system.” The Tyre Nichols case was another example of police brutality, and while it is horrible, with everyone standing together now, we must be hopeful for change in the future.