A judge has delayed the release of 20 additional hours of video and records from the arrest of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten by Memphis police officers and died from his injuries earlier in 2023.
On Tuesday, Mar. 7, city attorney Jennifer Sink said that Memphis had completed an administrative investigation into Nichols’ arrest and was prepared to release additional information, but on Wednesday morning, attorneys for the officers charged in Nichols’ death filed a Motion for Protective Order. The judge for the Criminal Criminal Court of Tennessee for the 30th Judicial District Division 3 ruled on Wednesday afternoon that the information could not be released until the state and defendants have time to review it.
“The release of this information shall be subject to further orders of the court and, in the public interest, will be ordered as soon as practicable,” the judge’s order read.
In February, the city of Memphis released four videos consisting of about an hour of footage from Nichols’ arrest and beating. That footage, collected from police body cameras and street surveillance cameras, showed Nichols being pulled over by police for reckless driving. After an initial struggle, Nichols ran from the officers, but was restrained again and beaten. Nichols was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, and died on Jan. 10, and attorneys for his family said that an independent autopsy showed that he suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”
Nichols’ family was able to see that footage before it was released. It’s not clear if they have seen the additional footage.
Five officers have been fired from their positions and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and more. All five have pled not guilty.
A sixth police officer was fired in February for violating “numerous” policies. A seventh officer was fired in March, and an eighth officer resigned “in lieu of termination,” Sink said. Two other officers, who had initially faced discipline, had their charges dropped, while three other officers were suspended, according to Sink.
Three members of the Memphis Fire Department who responded to the scene of Nichols’ arrest were fired, and a fourth was suspended.
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