On Saturday (January 29), during a sitdown interview with the Associated Press, former President Donald Trump expressed that Tyre Nichols’ fatal beating should “never have happened,” describing the incident as “horrible.”
He told the Associated Press that he believed the incident was “terrible,” adding, “He was just being pummeled,” which explained, “Now that should never have happened.”
Nichols, a 29-year-old motorist, was beaten by five Memphis, Tenn. police officers after he was pulled over for suspicion of reckless driving on January 7.
Three days after the beating, Nichols died in hospital.
Since the incident, the five police officers accused of the attack have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in addition to several other charges.
Video footage of the incident was released on Friday (January 29). The footage drew outrage from officials, celebrities, political leaders, and the public for the brutality on display.
The footage shows the five officers involved in the incident using a baton, their fists, and, at one stage, a stun gun.
The beating lasted several minutes, with Nichols shouting, “mom, mom” during the beating.
Initially, officers claimed on exiting the vehicle, Nichols ran from police before being chased and ultimately tackled to the ground.
Yet the footage shows that during the traffic stop, police officers pulled Nichols out of his car and wrestled him to the ground, while Nichols is heard saying, “I didn’t do anything,” and that he was trying to get home.
As officers hold him down, warning him that he’ll be tasered, Nichols manages to escape their grasp and runs away.
Since the release of the footage, more scrutiny has been placed on others involved in the incident, including two other officers and three first responders.
