Array
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday condemned the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, saying that the tragedy “never should have happened.”
“I thought it was terrible,” Trump told The Associated Press on Saturday, referring to the street surveillance and body-cam footage showing the violence arrest and beating of Nichols. “He was in such trouble. He was just being pummeled. Now that should never have happened.”
Nichols, a 29-year-old father and FedEx worker, was pulled over on the evening of Jan. 7 on his way home. According to the initial police report, Nichols tried to flee on foot following a “confrontation,” only to get into “another confrontation” as police officers pursued and arrested him. He died in a hospital of his injuries three days later.
The officers initially alleged that Nichols was being pulled over for “reckless driving.” On Friday, however, the Memphis police chief admitted that there is no video evidence to support that claim. Moreover, footage released by the City of Memphis revealed that the “confrontation” was apparently a five-on-one assault.
