Memphis police chief urges citizens to be nonviolent ahead of the release of video in Tyre Nichols' case - CNN

The Memphis police chief condemned the actions of officers involved in the arrest of Tyre Nichols earlier this month as “a failing of basic humanity” ahead of the impending release of video showing the incident.

This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual,” Chief Cerelyn Davis said in a YouTube video Wednesday, her first on-camera comments about the arrest that preceded Nichols’ death.

Davis, the first Black woman to serve as Memphis police chief, said she anticipated the release of the video in the coming days would cause public reaction and urged citizens to be nonviolent amid “our outrage and frustration.”

Law enforcement agencies nationwide are bracing for protests and potential unrest following the release of video, multiple sources told CNN.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association, one of the leading professional law enforcement organizations, has convened several calls with member agencies, according to the group’s executive director, Laura Cooper.

The five officers who were terminated were identified by police as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith.