President Joe Biden said Friday that he was “outraged and deeply hurt” by footage released Friday afternoon showing five Memphis police officers beating Tire Nichols during a traffic stop earlier this month.
“Like many, I am outraged and deeply hurt by the horrific video that resulted in the death of Tire Nichols,” Biden said in a statement. “This is yet another reminder of the deep fear and trauma, pain, and exhaustion that Black and Brown Americans experience every day.”
Nichols, a 29-year-old black man, died three days after his arrest. Protests were anticipated across the country after police released the video, which shows officers kicking and punching Nichols as he lay on the ground after being stopped on January 7.
“I was just trying to get home,” Nichols can be heard telling police in the footage.
“The footage released this evening will make people very angry,” Biden said in a statement. “Those seeking justice should not be subjected to violence or destruction. Violence is never acceptable; it is illegal and destructive. I join Mr. Nichols’ family in calling for peaceful protest.
The president added that he had spoken with Nichols’ mother and stepfather on Friday.
“There are no words to describe the pain and sorrow of losing a beloved son and young father,” said Biden, whose son Beau died in 2015.
Biden also called for a “prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation” into Nichols’ arrest and death.
The five officers involved in the beating and death of Nichols, all of whom have since been fired from the Memphis Police Department, were charged with second-degree murder on Thursday.
Nichols, the father of a 4-year-old boy, works for FedEx in the Memphis area. His hobbies include skateboarding and photography.