Mostly peaceful protests over police brutality were carried out around the country after the public release of body camera footage brought the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols into clearer picture.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black motorist, was pulled over Jan. 7 for what police said was reckless driving. After attempting to flee on foot, Nichols was aggressively beaten by police, newly released police video shows. Three days later, he died in the hospital.
Here's what else we know.
Who was Tyre Nichols?
Nichols, a father of a 4-year-old son, was known to his family as an avid skateboarder and nature photographer from Sacramento, Calif., according to The Associated Press. He arrived in Memphis just before the pandemic, and later started a job with FedEx, a major employer there. Nichols had been with the company for about nine months before his death, The New York Times reported.
"He was one of those people who made everyone around them happy," Nichols' step-grandmother Lucille Washington said at a memorial service.
Police body cam video shows a violent arrest
Police said on Jan. 8 that Nichols was taken into custody after a traffic stop that involved two confrontations with officers. During the initial confrontation, Nichols fled the scene of the traffic stop, police said.
Following the arrest, Nichols then complained of shortness of breath, according to authorities, and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he died on Jan. 10.
His family has said the police beat him so severely that he was unrecognizable.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said in a statement earlier this week that it understood the "reasonable request from the public" to view the video of Nichols' death.Watch now