Tennessee Bureau of Investigation chief ‘sickened’ by Tyre Nichols video

The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said he is “sickened” by the “appalling” footage of Tyre Nichols’s arrest in Memphis. 

Speaking at a press conference with Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, David Rausch said the violent beating that occurred during the arrest on Jan. 7 “shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’ve been policing for more than 30 years,” Rausch said. “I’ve devoted my life to this profession. And I’m grieved. Frankly, I’m shocked. I’m sickened by what I saw and what we’ve learned through our extensive and thorough investigation. I’ve seen the video. … In a word, it’s absolutely appalling.”

Rausch added the actions of the officers “does not reflect proper policing.” 

At the same press conference, Mulroy, the DA, announced indictments against the five fired Memphis police officers who are accused of murdering Nichols. Nichols was 29 when officers stopped him for alleged reckless driving earlier this month.

The indictment includes one charge of second-degree murder, one charge of aggravated assault, two charges of aggravated kidnapping, two charges of official misconduct and one charge of official oppression. All five former officers were taken into custody.

“While each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible,” said Mulroy.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees also involved in the incident have been relieved of their duties pending an investigation by the fire department. Though the two, who have not been identified, were not charged, Mulroy said Thursday’s indictment does not preclude additional charges against them. 

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said in a statement the charges against the former officers give the family hope. 

“This young man lost his life in a particularly disgusting manner that points to the desperate need for change and reform to ensure this violence stops occurring during low-threat procedures, like in this case, a traffic stop,” said Crump.

“This tragedy meets the absolute definition of a needless and unnecessary death. Tyre’s loved ones’ lives were forever changed when he was beaten to death, and we will keep saying his name until justice is served.” 

Video footage of the incident will be released sometime after 6 p.m. central time tomorrow, Mulroy said. He expects the footage to be a combination of polecam video, SkyCop video and body camera video.

Video has not yet been released in an effort to maintain the integrity of the investigation, Mulroy added. 

“Both to the family of Tyre Nichols and to the broader community here in Memphis and Shelby County – we all want the same thing, we want justice for Tyre Nichols,” Mulroy said.

“It’s my hope that if there’s any silver lining to be drawn from this very dark cloud, is that perhaps this incident can open a broader conversation about the need for police reform.”