NEW YORK (WABC) – Protesters took to the streets of Times Square Friday night following the release of body camera video of Memphis officers beating Tyro Nichols.
Memphis authorities published more than an hour of material A brutal beating took place on Friday in which officers restrained a 29-year-old black motorist and repeatedly punched him as he screamed for his mother.
The video comes a day after the officers, who are all black, were charged with first degree murder in Nichols’ death.
In New York, protesters held placards reading “No Justice, No Peace” during a march in Times Square.
Mayor Eric Adams and the city said they were prepared for any possible protests ahead of the video’s release.
Lawyers and family members who have seen the video have called it a sustained and brutal attack.
In a statement, the NYPD said it stands ready to protect the constitutional right to peaceful protest while ensuring public safety:
“We continue to monitor the situation in Memphis. The NYPD continues to work around the clock to keep New Yorkers safe. The department has studied, adapted and adjusted our response to protests and is prepared to protect the constitutional right to peaceful protest and work to ensure public safety for every New Yorker who exercises their First Amendment rights.”
Adams said the release of the video has affected him personally and professionally.
“I think the Memphis police chief reacted quickly, and I think New Yorkers should have the right to peacefully express their concerns about whether the video lives up to what we expect,” Adams said. “But this is a personal and professional painful moment for me as a victim of police abuse as a child. I know the consequences of that and I know that the years I’ve spent recruiting, encouraging different groups to be part of the noble profession of policing.”
Adams said it feels like the five officers tainted the job he and others were trying to do.
“Our employees must obey the law and be responsible for their actions. There is no other law,” he said. “We should be able to express our sadness in our anger. But we have to take all that pain and turn it into purpose.
The former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of charges of official misconduct. oppression
The criminal charges came about three weeks after Nichols was hospitalized following a traffic stop and “confrontation” with Memphis police that family attorneys called a brutal beating.
Nichols died of his injuries on Jan. 10, three days after his arrest, authorities said.
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