Local activists gathered around the grieving family of Tyre Nichols at the National Civil Rights Museum in Downtown Memphis on Monday, chanting for justice as crowds of museum visitors marked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Nichols died last Tuesday, three days after he was hospitalized following his arrest during a traffic stop. No details have been released about the cause of death.
The Memphis Police Department said officers stopped Nicholsfor reckless driving and a confrontation took place as officers approached on the night of Jan. 7. Nichols allegedly fled and a second confrontation ended with his apprehension. According to MPD, he was then transported to a hospital in critical condition after complaining of a shortness of breath.
His stepfather, Rodney Wells, said the next morning he visited Nichols in the hospital, finding him unconscious and hooked to a breathing machine. A photo he took appears to show Nichols with a swollen face, blood on his pillow and what Wells describes as knots on his head.
His family is asking for the release of police body camera footage from the incident.
“The only thing that has meaning right at this point is getting justice for my son,” Wells said. “Anything else I could care less about.”
Nichols leaves behind several siblings and a four-year-old son in Sacramento, California.
“Our lives will never be the same again,” his sister Keyana Dixon said as she cried at the demonstration.
Wells said he last saw his stepson alive the afternoon of the traffic stop. The two both worked at FedEx, where Nichols helped assemble boxes. Wells said he was universally beloved.
“He was real infectious. When he comes through the door, he wants to give you a hug. So If you walk past him, and you didn’t give him a hug, he going to call you back to get his hug,” he said. “Tyre was the type of person that likes to skateboard. He likes to take pictures. He’s not a criminal.”
A police use of force investigation is underway by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The agency declined to provide a possible timeline for completion.
MPD announced Sundaythat its own internal investigation has prompted “administrative action” to be taken against an undisclosed number of officers. The departmentindicated that a disciplinary and investigative process is expected to be completed later this week.
Wells says that is insufficient and is calling for possible criminal charges against the officers involved.
“We need action,” he said.
The family has retained legal representation from thelaw office of nationally-known civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
A memorial for Nichols will be held Tuesday afternoon.
