WATCH: Tire Nichols protesters block freeway traffic in Memphis
MEMPHIS- Tire Nichols protesters blocked traffic on a Memphis highway on Friday night after video emerged showing police beating the young black man as they attempted to arrest him.
“Rise up, fight back,” protesters chanted on the I-55 bridge, video captured by Fox News broadcasts.
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Protesters gathered and marched after an hour of video footage emerged showing police beating Nichols. The 29-year-old was hospitalized after the encounter, but died three days later.
“We shut it down,” a protester can be heard shouting.
“By any means necessary,” said another.
Memphis officers pulled Nichols from his vehicle in the middle of the road and attempted to detain him, the video shows. After a struggle, he finally escaped on foot, but officers encountered him again in a residential area.
Tire Nichols protesters block traffic on a Memphis freeway.
(Jon Michael Raasch/Fox News)
MEMPHIS COMPANIES BOARD IN PREPARATION FOR RELEASE OF TIRE NICHOLS BODYCAM VIDEO
There, police video showed the officers beating Nichols. He was repeatedly hit with a truncheon and struck repeatedly in the head as officers shouted at him to “shake your hand with us”.
Several times, Nichols called his mother and shouted “stop”. Lawyers said he was about 100 yards from his mother’s house at the time.
Nichols was eventually handcuffed and leaned against a police car with his legs stretched out. He appeared unconscious and collapsed to the ground.
One officer in one video can be heard telling another that Nichols was driving into oncoming traffic and refused to stop.
Memphis businesses are boarding up to prepare for potential violence ahead of the release of body camera footage of Tire Nichols.
(Fox News/Jon Michael Raasch)
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Nichols was taken to hospital and arrived in critical condition. He died three days later following a “use of force incident with officers”, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Five police officers involved have been charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault and other felony charges.
Nichols’ family as well as Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis urged protesters to remain peaceful.
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