Activists holding signs showing Tyre Nichols.Photo: Brandon Dill for The Washington Post via Getty
Tyre Nichols' autopsy found that he died of “blunt force trauma” and his manner of death was ruled a homicide, his lawyers say.
“The legal team representing the family of Tyre Nichols acknowledges the release of the medical examiner’s report, the contents of which are highly consistent with our own reporting back in January of this year,” the statement read.
“We know now what we knew then. Tyre Nichols died from blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide. The official autopsy report further propels our commitment to seeking justice for this senseless tragedy.”
The DA’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Thursday.
Tyre Nichols.facebook
According toABC News, the office told the Nichols family that his autopsy would be released publicly soon. Most recently, Mulroytold reportersTuesday that the autopsy was nearing completion and that his office anticipates it will confirm he “died as a result of the injuries sustained in the beating.”
The outlet also reports that Nichols family says he had a blood alcohol level of .049, citing the autopsy, which the DA’s office told the family was “well less than the legal limit to drive.”
Nichols, who was a father and FedEx employee, was pulled over for alleged reckless driving on Jan. 7 around 8:30 p.m., and following the traffic stop, Memphis police say Nichols fled on foot and more than one “confrontation” ensued.
Indisturbing video footage, multiple officers could be seen beating Nichols for approximately three minutes. When he collapses to the ground, officers continue punching him in the head. Officers also used a taser and pepper spray on Nichols. Afterward, Nichols could be seen slumped against a vehicle and was transported to the hospital, where he died three days later.
His family attorneys previously shared that a preliminary autopsy showed he experienced “extensive bleeding.” They added in a statement that police “brutalized him to the point he was unrecognizable.”
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Former officer Preston Hemphill — who was part of the initial traffic stop and was charged departmentally — fired a stun gun at the driver of the car and said “I hope they stomp his ass” after Nichols ran. Hemphill also “used the assaultive statement, ‘Get on the f—— ground. Finna tase yo ass,'” while on top of Nichols as CNN reports, citing police records.
“By no means do we endorse the conduct of Hemphill at the stop involving Tyre Nichols,” DA Mulroy said in a news release. “In this case, Hemphill did not pursue Tyre Nichols and never left the initial scene.”
source: people.com
