VIDEO: Protests across the United States after the release of a video in which police officers use excessive force against Tyer Nichols, who died three days later

Photo: Profimedia

Numerous but mostly peaceful protests are taking place in the United States this weekend after the video footage released last night by the Memphis police of the detention of Thayer Nichols, an African American. A few days after being held, Nichols died in hospital.

All five officers involved in the arrest, all African-American, were fired this week and charged with second-degree murder, assault and kidnapping.

Large protests are held in the cities of Memphis, New York and Los Angeles, and smaller ones in the capital Washington, in Seattle, Detroit and Atlanta. Somewhere the National Guard is deployed, somewhere the traffic is stopped, for now the protestors are peaceful.

Nichols' murder happened on January 7, when police pulled him over for aggressive driving. He got out of the car, resisted arrest and tried to escape on foot. The police used excessive force, electric shocks and tear gas in an attempt to detain him. Nichols died after spending three days in the hospital.

In the video, which was requested to be released by Nichols' family and lawyers, he is seen screaming in pain, saying "I didn't do anything" and looking for his mother.

Protesters in Memphis blocked a bridge over the Mississippi River and chanted "no justice no peace" and "justice for Thayer."

In the United States, police violence against black people is a burning problem. Police use disproportionately more force when detaining African Americans or Hispanics than they do against other minorities or majorities such as whites.

This year, another African American, Kinen Anderson, died as a result of brutal arrest. Los Angeles police tried to detain Anderson on January 3, using electric shocks multiple times in less than a minute. A few hours later he died of a heart attack.

The family and the Black Lives Matter organization filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department for $50 million in damages. Keenen is the cousin of the organization's co-founder. Footage of the arrest shows him shouting "you're making me George Floyd".

The murder of George Floyd under similar circumstances in May 2020 in Minneapolis, sparked a wave of violent protests across America that continued for months.

George Floyd's killer sentenced to 22,5 years in prison

Dear reader,

Our access to web content is free, because we believe in equality in information, regardless of whether someone can pay or not. Therefore, in order to continue our work, we ask for the support of our community of readers by financially supporting the Free Press. Become a member of Sloboden Pechat to help the facilities that will enable us to deliver long-term and quality information and TOGETHER let's ensure a free and independent voice that will ALWAYS BE ON THE PEOPLE'S SIDE.

SUPPORT A FREE PRESS.
WITH AN INITIAL AMOUNT OF 60 DENARS

Video of the day