Tyre Deandre Nichols was a 29-year-old Black man. Nichols was borned and raised in Sacramento, California. In the year 2020, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He was a FedEx worker and an amateur photographer. He was also a member of the skateboard community, known for his passion and skills. In an interview with one of Nichols’ childhood friends, Austin Robert, Nicolas was described as “[...] a talented and dedicated skateboarder with SO much life left to live” (NPR). Robert expressed remembering Nichols as a positive individual with an infectious laughter, “[...] always [trying] to bring everybody together and put a smile on anybody else’s face before his own” (NPR). Nichols was a father of a four-year-old boy. He was a son, who was very close with his mother. He was a brother, being the youngest of four siblings (CBS News). He was someone’s loved one, whose friends and family remember as being joyful and spiritual (CBS News). Tyre Deandre Nichols was his name.
**Trigger Warning Ahead**
On January 7, 2023, Nichols was returning home after having taken some photographs of the sunset at a suburban park. On his way home, Memphis police officers stopped him (during a traffic stop), claiming that he was “recklessly driving”. However, it was later revealed by the Memphis Police Directory Cerelyn “CJ” Davis that the statement on arrest had “[...] not been substantiate[d]” (CBS News). According to the officers involved, during the “confrontation” Nichols ran away, soon escalating into a violent confrontation. In fact, approximately an hour-long footage (compiled from police body cameras and a street camera) was released by the city of Memphis showing the five of the six officer involved, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith (NPR), punching, kicking, and beating Nicholas with a baton, as he begged them to stop (New York Times). The video also showed Nichols having been restrained and pepper sprayed (CBS News). Nichols had complained of experiencing shortness of breath, which resulted in him being taken to a hospital. Unfortunately, as a result of the severe beatings from the police officers, Nichols “succumbed to his injuries”, suffering from an extensive bleeding, cardiac arrest and kidney failure on January 10. (CBS News).
In the aftermath of Nichols’ death, his mother revealed her son had a health autoimmune condition known as Crohn’s disease (BuzzFeed News), further raising questions about the wrongful and unjust doing of the Memphis police officers. Moreover, in response to this incident, three members of the Memphis Fire Department, including two EMTs who had responded to the scene, but gravely failed to help, were fired for violating several policies and protocols (CBS News). The five officers who physically abused Nicolas were fired and charged with second-degree murder. Preston Hemphill, the six officer involved, who had tased Nicolas when he ran away during the “confrontation”, has also been fired (New York Times).
Although those who killed and failed Tyre Deandre Nichols have been fired, the accountability should stop there. We (as a society) need to address the root of the problem. So many precious lives have been taken by the hands of police officers again and again. It is apparent that this cycle (that often seems never-ending) continues penetrating our BIPOC communities. That is enough. We can no longer allow law enforcement (e.g., police, ICE agents, border patrol, sheriffs, etc.) abuse their power to do harm to our communities. History has clearly demonstrated that authorities, police surveillance, and punitive systems (e.g., prisons, immigration detentions, etc.) were created not to protect, but to terrorize (NAACP). Until we come together to dismantle these systems that uphold white-supremacist values, maybe then we can achieve some liberation. We need justice for those lives lost as a result of law enforcement. We need justice for Tyre Deandre Nichols. Today, I write with intention, to encourage you all to continue to fight back these systems not created for us.
As always, stay empowered and empower your communities, peace.
ความคิดเห็น