Robon Wells: Tyree Nichols' family and their lawyers, they had the chance to finally see the footage for themselves. She says she couldn't make it through the first minute of the video because of just how painful it was to witness that happening to her son. "I don't have any feelings right now. All I know is my son Tyree is not here with me anymore," reads a tearful Wells. The five officers are all in their 20s to early 30s; they're part of an elite unit called Scorpion.
This episode contains descriptions of violence and strong language.
Tyre Nichols was a 29-year-old Black man who lived in Memphis. His mother described him as living a simple and pleasant life. He worked for FedEx, loved to skateboard, was an amateur photographer and had a 4-year-old son.
On the evening of Jan. 7, after a traffic stop, Mr. Nichols was violently beaten by the police, sustaining severe injuries. He died on Jan. 10.
For weeks, what exactly had happened was unclear. This weekend, videos of the encounter were released.
Guest: Rick Rojas, the Southern bureau chief for The New York Times.
Background reading:
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