Attorney Benjamin Crump and international legal counsel Jasmine Rand and Yetunde Asika have made an urgent appeal to the United Nations on behalf of the family of Tyre Nichols. The appeal calls for “urgent” action regarding the traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee on January 7 that led to the death of the 29-year-old on January 10.
“Today, we filed an Urgent Appeal before the United Nations asking it to condemn the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols, to demand transparency from the police department, and to demand that Officer Preston Hemphill and all officers that participated in the incident are criminally charged. The video evidence shows that all who were involved in Tyre’s death committed reprehensible acts that require international condemnation,” the office of nationally renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
On January 7, 2023, Memphis Police Department Officer Preston Hemphill stopped Nichols for allegedly recklessly driving. Shortly after stopping Nichols, five other officers from the Memphis Police Department began beating the 29-year-old man for more than three minutes. After being left without medical assistance for approximately 20 more minutes, he was transported to a nearby hospital. Three days later, he was pronounced dead.
Nichols’ death coupled with the release of a video of the traffic stop has sparked protests and outcry around the nation. As a result, all six officers involved in the traffic stop have been fired and the Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into the Memphis Police Department. More recently, five of the officers involved in the traffic stop have been charged with second-degree murder.
“What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do better,” Biden said during the 2023 State of the Union address.
“Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of [Tyre’s] mom true — something good must come from this. Something good.”
