The protests are feared to turn violent. On Thursday, five former police officers were charged with the second-degree murder of Tire Nichols, or manslaughter in Finnish.
In the United States, the city of Memphis has published videos showing a person who died in the hands of the police by Tire Nichols, 29, assault. The videos were published, for example, by a news channel CNN (switch to another service) and a newspaper New York Times (you will switch to another service).
The videos show Nichols being kicked in the head and punched in the face, among other things. During the violence, Nichols calls out to his mother. According to the videos, the violence lasts several minutes, and after it ends, it takes several more minutes for Nichols to get help.
Nichols was seriously injured when police arrested him on January 7 in Memphis, Tennessee. Nichols died of his injuries three days later.
The chain of events started when the police stopped Nichols, who was driving the car, after suspecting him of endangering traffic safety. Among other things CNN (switch to another service) says Nichols ran from the scene after officers pulled him out of the car and ordered him to the ground. Officers caught Nichols again, and the violence began.
Superintendent of the Tennessee State Police David Rausch has described the events as nauseating and the actions of the arresting police officers as “truly horrific”.
The atmosphere in the city of Memphis is tense, and the police have increased patrols in case of possible demonstrations. The publication of the videos has been feared to incite violent protests. President Joe Biden has pleaded that the demonstrations remain peaceful.
Five policemen have been dismissed because of the incident, and on Thursday they were charged with second-degree murder, or manslaughter in Finnish. The police are also black.
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Tire Nichols, 29, died at the hands of the police in Memphis – now the United States is preparing for unrest when the video of the arrest is released