On January 10, 2019, several days after an incident with Memphis, Tennessee, police officers during a traffic stop near his mother's house, Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died.
The independent autopsy found that Nichols “suffered considerable bleeding caused by a severe beating,” as reported by his family and lawyers. State and federal authorities, in addition to the Memphis Police Department, are looking into the fatal confrontation.
As the police prepare to disclose footage of the fatal encounter, Memphis residents remain on edge. Authorities have not released many specifics about the circumstances leading up to Nichols' murder, so the footage is expected to fill in some of the gaps. Here is what is known about Nichols cause of death.
Who Was Tyre Nichols?
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black father to a four-year-old son, lived in California before moving to Memphis, Tennessee during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nichols, who was working for FedEx at the time of his death, was a huge skating and photography fan whose extended community recently gathered to grieve his loss in Memphis.
What Happened During the Traffic Stop?
On January 7, Nichols was stopped by police for allegedly driving recklessly, according to documents released by his family's lawyers on Monday. The police said there was a “confrontation” when they approached the car & that the suspect had run away & then again when they apprehended him. Nichols was “bloody, bloated & comatose” for days after the encounter, leading to his eventual death. No more information about the incident has been released by authorities.
What Was Tyre Nichols Cause of Death?
Nichols's family attorneys Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci have said that an independent autopsy showed that the 29-year-old died of severe bleeding caused by a violent attack, but Memphis officials have yet to give an official comment on the matter.
A nationally renowned forensic pathologist conducted the autopsy, and his findings corroborated the family's and attorney's observations from the body cam footage of Nichols' arrest and subsequent beating. Results & specifics from the autopsy will be released at a later time.
Benjamin Crump, a family attorney for Tyre Nicholas, was quoted by the Associated Press as calling the film from his client's body camera “troubling on every level.” At a press conference on January 23, attorneys for Tyre Nichols' family, Benjamin Crump & Antonio Romanucci called the body cam footage showing the entire encounter “troubling on every level.”
Crump added, “It is horrible,” as reported by the Associated Press. This should not be tolerated in any form. This is a horrible thing to do. Soon, the public will be able to view the body cam footage and read the whole report.
In an interview, members of Nichols' family expressed their “anger, pain, and upset” over the death of their loved one and their desire to have the police involved charged with murder.
To this point, the Memphis Police Department has not provided any additional information about the incident. The case of Tyre Nichols is being investigated by both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and the United States Department of Justice.
What Happened to the Policemen Who Assaulted Nichols?
Last Friday, the Memphis Police Department fired Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith for using excessive force and failing to help Nichols. The cops were charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression on Thursday.
