MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The city of Memphis said Tuesday that it will release footage related to the death of Tyre Nichols after the Memphis Police Department finishes its own internal investigation related to his death, which occurred after multiple “confrontations” with officers.
“The video will be released publicly after the completion of the internal investigation into the actions of the officers and after the family of Mr. Nichols has had the opportunity to review the video privately,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said in a joint statement.
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Nichols, 29, of Memphis, died on Jan. 10 after two “confrontations” with police on Jan. 7, which left him hospitalized. Officials said a cause of death has not yet been determined.
Nichols’ arrest and death have prompted separate investigations by the police department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Nichols’ family and community members have protested in recent days, calling for the release of police body camera footage and for officers in connection to the incident to face charges.
Relatives of Nichols have accused police of causing him to have a heart attack. Authorities previously said Nichols, who was Black, experienced a medical emergency.
Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy had called the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident, which is ongoing. Mulroy is reviewing the case.
The internal investigation could finish late this week and the family could view the video early next week, according to officials.
The city said Sunday that the officers involved in the incident will be going through internal disciplinary proceedings. The city has not named the officers involved or said how many were involved in the incident. It is not clear what type of footage from the incident exists or what it shows.
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The city of Memphis did not immediately return a request for clarification about the footage. The city and Memphis police do not often release camera footage when police personnel uses force against someone.
The city said Tuesday that it is seeking permission from Mulroy and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to release the footage. Mulroy said in a statement Tuesday morning that his office was working to quickly release the video footage.
“Our office is committed to transparency and understands the reasonable request from the public to view the video footage,” Mulroy said. “However, we must ensure we abide by applicable laws and ethical rules so that we do not jeopardize an ongoing investigation or prosecution.
Contributing: Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal; The Associated Press
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