Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police have mobilized their entire force of over 3,000 officers to respond to escalating tensions, in addition to an additional 600 officers already stationed on-site. Barbed wire fences have been erected in areas surrounding the Capitol building. Despite the tightened security, many citizens remain anxious. They have begun limiting their time outdoors and monitoring news more closely.
Nichols, 29, was pulled from his car on January 7 after police accused him of speeding. He then fled the scene, whereupon he was assaulted by a group of officers. Three days later, Nichols died in a local hospital. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis described the officers' actions as "cruel and contemptuous of the law."
A section of 16th Street, right next to the White House, has been officially renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza” at the request of Mayor Muriel Bowser.
According to the video, the group of police officers repeatedly punched Nichols and demanded that he raise his hands for arrest. But even when several officers held Nichols' hands behind his back, another officer continued to punch him. By the time paramedics arrived at the scene, they were unable to provide timely first aid to the victim within 16 minutes.
However, on the day of the incident (January 7th), the Memphis Police Department's Twitter account announced: "After two chases, the suspect experienced difficulty breathing. The suspect was transported to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition."
Nichols' family and lawyers both agree that the video shows police assaulting Nichols for three minutes. Independent forensic results confirmed Nichols lost excessive blood due to brutal beatings.
The officers involved in the incident – members of the SCORPION unit, established in 2021 to address Memphis’s rising crime rate – are also Black and were charged with murder and other crimes last week.
"Crime prevention policies are implemented through the relationship between police and the community, rather than increasing troop numbers. Trust can be broken when vulnerable communities are oppressed by units like SCORPION, which were created to protect the community," retired Montgomery County Sheriff Sonia Pruitt told CNN.
On January 28th, the Memphis Police Department announced the dissolution of the SCORPION unit. One of the urgent demands from the Nichols family and social activists is that lawmakers and the government change policies to create a stronger legal framework following Nichols' tragic death.
From the White House, President Joe Biden expressed anger and sorrow after watching the video. He asserted that it served as a reminder of the profound harm that the Black community in America continues to suffer.
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