Tyre Nichols: Last words of US man who died after police ‘beating’ were ‘mum, mum, mum’, says lawyer
The final words of a US motorist who died after he was allegedly beaten by five police officers were “mum, mum, mum”, according to a lawyer.
Tyre Nichols, 29, passed away in hospital three days after the confrontation following a traffic stop in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, on 7 January.
Bodycam footage of the altercation is expected to be released later on Friday evening.
His family said the “very horrific” video showed officers savagely beating the FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault their lawyers likened to the Los Angeles police attack on motorist Rodney King in 1991.
Tyre Nichols
Five sacked officers, who are all black, have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes, including assault, kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, over Mr Nichols’s death.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing his family, said when the public watches the footage they will see him calling out for his mother.
He said: “When you all see this video, you’re going to see Tyre Nichols calling out for his mum.
“He calls out three times for his mother. His last words on this earth are, ‘mum, mum, mum’. He’s screaming for her. When you think about that kidnapping charge, he said ‘I just want to go home’.”
“It’s a traffic stop for God’s sake. A simple traffic stop.”
RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols. Pic: AP
Mr Nichols’s mother, RowVaughn Wells, told reporters: “For a mother to know their child was calling them in their need and I wasn’t there for him. Do you know how I feel right now? Because I wasn’t there for my son.”
Ms Wells recalled she had “a really bad pain in my stomach” and once she found out what happened she realised “that was my son’s pain that I was feeling”.
“For me to find out my son was calling my name, you have no clue how I feel right now,” she added, struggling to hold back tears.
Clockwise from top left: Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith have been sacked
She also said she had not yet seen the video but urged anyone with children not to let them watch it.
“I have never seen the video but what I have heard is very horrific.”
She added the charged officers had “disgraced their families”.
“I want to say to the five police officers who murdered my son, you also disgraced your own families when you did this.
“But I am going to pray for you and your families. Because this shouldn’t have happened. We want justice for my son.”
She has pleaded for peaceful protests.
Police pulled Mr Nichols over for alleged reckless driving before there was an “altercation” where officers used pepper spray on him, according to Shelby County district attorney Steve Mulroy.
Mr Nichols then tried to flee on foot and another altercation followed, he added.
His family say the officers beat him and the injuries he sustained during the encounter led to his death.
Relatives accuse police of causing him to have a heart attack and kidney failure. Authorities have only said he experienced a medical emergency.
The officers were assigned to the ‘scorpion’ unit which focuses on violent street crime. The family’s lawyers want it to be disbanded.
Memphis police chief Cerelyn Davis has said the department will review scorpion and other specialised units.
President Joe Biden said the Nichols family and the city of Memphis deserve “a swift, full and transparent investigation”.
“Public trust is the foundation of public safety, and there are still too many places in America today where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken,” he added.
Democrat Zohran Mamdani – who described himself as “Trump’s worst nightmare” – is set to become New York’s next mayor, Sky’s US partner network NBC News projects.
The projected win – with 60.2% of votes counted – comes after one of the most colourful races in years and looks set to have a profound effect on US national politics.
Mr Mamdani will be the first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest person in a century to be elected as New York City mayor.
The first reaction from the Democrat came on social media while votes were still being counted, where Mr Mamdani posted a video of a subway coming to a stop as a tannoy says: “The next and last stop is: City Hall.”
After the current Democratic mayor, Eric Adams, announced he would run as an independent after a corruption scandal, Andrew Cuomo emerged as frontrunner to take the party’s nomination.
He was looking to rebuild his career after resigning as governor of New York State in 2021 amid allegations of sexual harassment.
But in a major upset, relative outsider Mr Mamdani took the nomination instead, and became the favourite for mayor. Cuomo then chose to run as an independent.
Read more:
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Will Mamdani inspire Democrats’ strategy?
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Who is Zohran Mamdani?
On the eve of the election, Mr Trump said Mr Mamdani – who is known for left-wing policies and campaigning on issues like affordable housing – would bring “disaster” to the city.
He encouraged backers of Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate who trailed in polling, to transfer their votes to Mr Cuomo instead.
Pic: NDZ / STAR MAX / IPx / AP
New York’s mayoral race was one of four elections on Tuesday serving as a bellwether referendum on Mr Trump’s second term as president.
Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won their races to become state governor in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively.
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A cargo plane has crashed near an airport in Kentucky.
Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) say officers are attending the scene of the accident near Louisville International Airport.
The force added: “LMPD and multiple other agencies are responding to reports of a plane crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane.
“Grade Lane will be closed indefinitely between Stooges and Crittenden. Injuries reported.”
UPS said it has been notified of an incident involving one of its aircraft. In a statement on its website, the company said three people were on board.
A fireball erupts near airport property after reports of a plane crash at Louisville International Airport, Kentucky. Pic: Jon Cherry / AP
Pic: Brad Harvey / AP
Pic: Jon Cherry / AP
A shelter-in-place order was also issued within five miles of the Kentucky airport, which is also home to UPS Worldport, the delivery firm’s largest package handling facility in the world.
The airport said that all arriving and departing flights are temporarily suspended, that the airfield is closed, and warned passengers should closely monitor their flights.
The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said the crash happened around 5.15pm local time (10.15pm UK time) as the plane left the airport, bound for Honolulu in Hawaii.
It added that the aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane, primarily used by cargo airlines.
Kentucky governor Andy Beshear added on social media: “First responders are onsite, and we will share more information as available.
“Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected. We will share more soon.”
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Former US vice president Dick Cheney has died from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family has said.
In a statement, his family said the 84-year-old was surrounded by his wife Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary, and other family members.
The Republican was one of the most polarising vice presidents in US history under George W Bush from 2001 to 2009, and was a leading advocate of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Dick Cheney with George W Bush. Pic: Reuters
In later life, he became a target of Donald Trump, especially after his daughter, Liz Cheney, became the leading Republican critic and examiner of Mr Trump’s actions surrounding the January 6 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.
“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who was a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Mr Cheney said in a TV advert for his daughter.
“He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He is a coward.”
Dick Cheney looks on as his daughter Liz Cheney takes the oath of office in 2017. Pic: AP
Last year he said he was voting for Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, to be president against Mr Trump.
Mr Cheney survived five heart attacks and declared in 2013 he woke up each morning “with a smile on my face, thankful for the gift of another day”.
Pic: Reuters
His family’s statement said: “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States.
“Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing.
“We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country.
“And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”
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