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.
US
Changpeng Zhao: Former boss of world’s largest crypto exchange Binance jailed for allowing money laundering
The former boss of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has been jailed for four months for allowing money laundering.
The sentence was handed down to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, nicknamed CZ, after he pleaded guilty to breaching US anti-money laundering laws designed to prevent terrorist financing and funds going to sanctioned countries.
The prison term was far less than sought by US prosecutors who wanted a three-year term – twice the maximum 18 months recommended under federal sentencing guidelines – to be tough on the man once thought to be the most powerful person in the crypto world.
The defence had called for probation with no prison time for their client. A $50m (£40m) fine has already been paid by Zhao.
Despite the massive fine, he remains a billionaire and the wealthiest crypto executive, according to Forbes, with magazine putting his wealth at $33bn (£26.4bn).
Changpeng Zhao
Zhao apologised before his sentencing at a court in Seattle, saying: “I failed here. I deeply regret my failure and I am sorry.”
But district judge Richard Jones told him: “You had the wherewithal, the finance capabilities, and the people power to make sure that every single regulation had to be complied with, and so you failed at that opportunity.”
He is the second major crypto boss to go to prison. Last month, the founder of FTX Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years for stealing billions of dollars from the now-bankrupt crypto exchange.
Bankman-Fried has appealed against his conviction and his sentence.
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Sam Bankman-Fried jailed for 25 years
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A ‘wild west’ model
Zhao stepped down from his role at Binance in November after he and the company admitted evading requirements under the US Bank Secrecy Act.
The company agreed to a $4.3bn (£3.4bn) penalty as prosecutors said it used a “wild west” model that failed to report 100,000 suspicious transactions involving terrorist groups.
Prosecutors had also said Binance supported the sale of child sexual abuse material and received the proceeds of ransomware cyberattacks.
The US Justice Department brought the case as part of its clamp down on criminal activity within cryptocurrency, best known for Bitcoin.
Binance is also being investigated and sued by another US agency, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company had once processed about two-thirds of all cryptocurrency transactions.
A two-year-old boy has died after a bouncy castle was lifted off the ground by a strong gust of wind, US authorities have said.
The parents of the boy – named in reports as Bodhi Naaf – are “grappling with unimaginable grief” following the incident on Saturday, a Go Fund Me page said.
The “tragic accident” happened near Casa Grande, Arizona, according to a statement from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
“Several children were playing in a bounce house when a strong gust of wind sent it airborne into the neighbouring lot,” the sheriff’s office said.
“A two-year-old child was transported to the hospital where he passed away.”
A second child was taken to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Sky’s US partner NBC reported.
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A GoFundMe page has been set for up for Bodhi’s parents Karl and Cristy, who are expecting a child in late May.
“This devastating loss has left Karl and Cristy grappling with unimaginable grief,” it said.
“Adding to their challenges, Cristy is due to give birth to their second child on 31 May 2024. Amidst their sorrow, they face the daunting task of preparing for the arrival of their newborn.
“As a community, we want to offer our support and alleviate the financial burden that accompanies such tragedies.”
The fundraising page has received than $138,000 (£110,000).
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A spokesperson for the Phoenix Fire Department confirmed the couple has ties to the department, which is providing them with support, NBC said.
The statement said: “We are all devastated by this tremendous loss of life. The fire service prides itself on being one big family.
“Our membership and our department are doing everything we can to support Karl and Cristy during this difficult time.”
The US is planning to reclassify cannabis as a less dangerous drug in an historic shift that could have a significant impact across the country.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposal would recognise the drug’s medical properties and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than other dangerous substances.
However the proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House, would not legalise cannabis outright for recreational use.
Marijuana is currently classified in the US as a “schedule one” substance, alongside heroin and LSD, which is reserved for drugs with a high potential for abuse.
The US Department of Justice, which oversees the DEA, recommended cannabis be switched to “schedule three”, meaning it has a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence, and putting the drug in the same bracket as ketamine and some anabolic steroids.
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How medical cannabis is made
The move comes after US President Joe Biden called for a review of the federal marijuana law in October 2022 and announced a pardon for thousands of Americans convicted of possessing cannabis.
In December, Mr Biden said: “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.
“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
Read more from Sky News:
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Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change, saying marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug”.
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, some research has shown that young people who use cannabis have an increased risk of psychosis.
Using cannabis can also increase the risk of other mental health problems such as depression and suicidal feelings, it adds.
The discrepancy between federal and state cannabis laws in the US is evident, as 38 states have already legalised medical marijuana, with 24 approving its recreational use.
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