Moneybagg Yo, Glorilla and Coi Leray are among the Hip Hop artists and thousands calling for justice for Tire Nichols, who was brutally beaten by five Memphis Police Department officers and later died of his injuries .
On Friday night, the city of Memphis released a video of the Jan. 7 incident showing how officers repeatedly punched and kicked Nichols, 29, injuring him and dying in hospital three days later. The video has sparked outrage over the use of brutal police officers during routine traffic stops.
On January 20, five officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, were fired following an internal police investigation.
They were later charged with second-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping, among other charges. The officers have since been released from prison, but the video shocked many because they could be so brutal and ruthless, as seen in the video, where one brags about hitting Nichols hard.
So far, Fox 13 has reported that officers got into an altercation with Nichols during a traffic stop at the intersection of Raines and Ross roads at 8:22 p.m. Nichols then ran and was chased by police near Castlegate Lane and Bear Creek Cove, a few yards from his home. There, the police brutally beat him by taking turns punching and kicking him to the body and face.
The now-dead man was handcuffed as police brutalized him. Paramedics attended around 8.40pm but they did not assist him until after 9pm, possibly depriving him of preventive treatment for his injuries.
The officers were also heard talking about the beating, with one saying, “I hit that guy a lot,” while another claimed Nichols had a gun, but another disputed that, saying the man “was in the car.” Nothing. Unless he’s running and throwing, there’s nothing on him.”
Many hip-hop artists from Houston and elsewhere reacted to the video, including Moneybagg Yo, Coi Leray, GloRilla and more.
“Prayers for Tire Nichols’ family and our city. #JusticeForTyre,” wrote Moneybagg Yo.
“Justice for Tire Nichols,” Coi Leray wrote with a heartbroken emoji.
Justice for Tire Nichols! ! ! ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
— Trendsetter?? (@coi_leray) January 28, 2023
That shot is disgusting smh rip tire nichols ????
Despicable totally unnecessary behavior on the part of the police
— Russ (@russdiemon) January 28, 2023
? ? ? If you’re wondering why people don’t lie still while they’re being beaten! ! ! ! ? #TyreNichols # layers #pearl? pic.twitter.com/UPTxuOFBov
– layers (@plies) January 28, 2023
“Justice for Tire Nichols,” wrote GloRilla.
Others responding include Funk Flex, Martin Luther King Jr., President Joe Biden and the thousands currently on the streets of Memphis, downtown Los Angeles and New York City, where large crowds of protesters gathered late Friday night.
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