Bay Area officials and police are speaking out Friday as authorities were set to release police video depicting five Memphis officers beating a Black man whose death resulted in murder charges and provoked outrage at the country’s latest instance of police brutality.
A demonstration demanding justice for Tyre Nichols is also planned in San Francisco. Nichols' family members have pleaded for any protests to remain peaceful.
The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes in the killing of Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a Jan. 7 confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told a news conference that although the officers each played different roles in the killing, “they are all responsible.”
Nichols' family members and their lawyers said the footage shows officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault that the legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
In the Bay Area, a "JUSTICE FOR TYRE NICHOLS!" demonstration is scheduled to start 5 p.m. Friday at Powell and Market streets in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Police Department said it is closely monitoring the events unfolding in Memphis.
"We are in constant communication with our local, state and federal partners in order to respond to any development that may occur as a result of the incident," SFPD said in a statement Friday.
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In the South Bay, the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs' Association said in a statement it "is deeply troubled by the horrific death of Mr. Tyre Nichols at the hands of five ex-Memphis Police Officers. Our hearts go out to the Nichols family as they mourn the loss of their loved one, and the law enforcement community whose reputation has once again been tarnished by a select few who failed to honor the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics.
As the leaders of all the Santa Clara County agencies, we are committed to a world in which all people feel justice is administered with dignity, equity and fairness; instilling cultures within our agencies which prioritize a fundamental commitment to the preservation of human life. As these violent incidents continue to occur across the nation, it is clear there is more work to be done. We recognize the value of having deep relationships with our communities, built on trust and honest dialogue, and are steadfast in our resolve to continue these efforts, especially in these troubling times."
The San Jose Police Department released the following statement:
In the East Bay, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao provided the following statement:
"Tyre Nichols should be with us today. It is wrong and horrifying that this young man was killed. It hurts me to know Tyre's family had to see a video of their son and loved one being brutally beaten and will likely see it again and again in the days ahead. I cannot imagine their pain. It is traumatic and it is understandable that Americans all over our nation are angry and disgusted. I hope that the serious charges against the officers who killed him will bring a measure of justice to his family and I know all of Oakland stands with them today."
The Oakland Police Department released the following statement:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
