Editor’s note: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence.
In body camera video footage released by the city of Memphis Friday, an officer can be seen tying his boot while Tyre Nichols sits on the ground in handcuffs leaning against a police cruiser.
One officer appears to complain about an injury to his leg and knee. The officers mill about, talking about Nichols escaping custody while he sits next to a police car unattended.
Nichols slumps over and an officer walks over to pull him back upright before directing him to sit up.
Paramedics appear to show up on scene 10 minutes into the body cam video. Nichols does not appear to be conscious.
Officers appear to say at least two officers pepper sprayed Nichols, “saying I sprayed, he sprayed.” Then an officer says another officer tased Nichols.
One officer says, “He swung, pow, almost hit me” followed by a second saying, “Then he reached for (inaudible) gun” while pointing at another officer. One officer says Nichols grabbed his gun saying, “He had his hand on my gun, motherfucker was holding it.”
An officer later describes the traffic stop involving Nichols saying, “We tried to get him stopped, he didn’t stop.”
The officers goes on to say, “He drove around, swerved, nearly hit my car” “He pulled up to the red light, stopped, put his turn signal on.”
Nichols is seen in the video rolling slowly on the ground, attempting to speak as a first responder repeatedly tells him, “you can’t go nowhere.”
Source: www.cnn.com