Timeline of events in the Tyr Nichols case: from arrest to death and video release

Timeline of events in the Tyre Nichols case, which sparked a state and federal investigation into police brutality and resulted in the murder and other charges against the five officers involved in his arrest this month:

— Jan. 7: Tyre Nichols is pulled over by police for an alleged traffic violation after photographing the sunset, according to his family’s later accounts. A confrontation ensues, and five Memphis cops brutally beat him in the confrontation, which is recorded by police body cameras.

— January 8: A Memphis police statement said officers tried to stop a man for reckless driving on Jan. 7, and he was taken to the hospital in critical condition after two collisions. The first description of what happened says that there was a skirmish when the police approached the car, and the suspect fled on foot. The police pursued him, and another skirmish occurred when they took him into custody, police said. Subject complained of shortness of breath and was taken to the hospital. Because of his condition, police contacted the Shelby County District Attorney’s office, who asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the use of force.

— January 10: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a man involved in an altercation with Memphis officers “succumbed to his injuries” and identifies him as Tyre D. Nichols, 29, a black man.

— January 14: Family, friends and supporters of Nichols protest in front of the Memphis police station and call on the police to release body camera video of the arrest. Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told local media that his stepson suffered cardiac arrest and kidney failure from being beaten by police officers.

— January 15: Police Chief Serelyn Davis says she looked into the information about the collision and decided to take immediate action by notifying the officers involved.

— January 16: Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump announces he represents the Nichols family and urges police to release a body camera and surveillance video from a bus stop. Meanwhile, protesters gather outside the Civil Rights Museum to press for the release of the police video and call on officers to file charges.

— January 18: The US Department of Justice announces that it has launched a civil rights investigation.

— January 20th: The five officers involved in the arrest have been fired after an internal investigation found they used excessive force, failed to intervene, and failed to provide assistance. They are identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. All five are black.

— January 23: The Nichols family watch police video with their lawyers, who say it shows Nichols being beaten for three minutes in a “violent” confrontation reminiscent of the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King. The video shows Nichols shocked, pepper-sprayed and restrained after being pulled over moments before his home while returning from a suburban park where he was photographing the sunset. Crump says the family agreed to investigators’ request to delay the release of the video so as not to compromise the criminal investigation.

(Excerpts from footage of Nichols’ arrest can be seen in the video below, which has been edited for time and profanity. Click here to view the full video released by police – Warning: This shows scenes of violence that may be disturbing.)

Memphis police released the video on Friday. It includes footage from the police body camera and footage from the security camera on the pole.

— January 24: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy says the release of the police video will be carefully timed to avoid the possibility of suspects or witnesses tailoring their statements to what they saw in it and asking the public for patience. The graphic is irritating to activists who expected the video to be released after it was viewed by Nichols’ family. Meanwhile, the Memphis Fire Department says two employees who provided initial care for Nichols the night of his arrest have been suspended while the agency investigates.

— The 25th of January: Davis, the police chief, calls the actions of the police officers “disgusting, reckless and inhumane” and urges people to peacefully protest when the video is made public. In a statement posted on social media, she says other officers are still under investigation for violating department policy and that there will be a “full and independent review” of the department’s specialized units.

U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Ritz said his office is working with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to investigate the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man who died after being violently arrested by Memphis police.

— January 26: The five officers are charged with murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and oppression by officials. Mulroy says they each played different roles in the murder, but “they are all responsible.” Mulroy also announces that a video of the traffic stop will be released the following evening. Nichols’ parents say they are satisfied with the charges against the officers. At an evening candlelight vigil, Nichols’ mother pleads with supporters to “protest peacefully” when the “terrifying” footage is released.

— January 27: Hours before the video is due to be released, the police chief says she was unable to substantiate the charge of reckless driving that caused the stop. The community is taking steps to prepare for the release, including canceling extracurricular activities in schools and early closures of places such as the public offices of the Memphis power company and the University of Memphis. Following the release of the video, two Shelby County deputies were suspended after the sheriff said he saw them at the scene in the video, adding that an investigation was underway to determine if the deputies violated any department rules.