During a live interview with CNN anchor Don Lemon this morning (Jan. 27), Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis said that the video of officers beating Tyre Nichols is “perhaps worse” than the infamous footage of Rodney King being attacked by police in Los Angeles over 30 years ago.
“I was outraged. It was incomprehensible to me. It was unconscionable, and I felt that I needed to do something and do something quickly,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve witnessed anything of that nature my entire career.”
She continued, “You’re gonna see acts that defy humanity. You’re gonna see a disregard for life, duty of care that we’re all sworn to, and a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement. And I’m sure that — as I said before — that individuals watching will feel what the family felt. And if you don’t, you’re not a human being.”
Law enforcement is set to release the video to the public this evening. “I was in law enforcement during the Rodney King incident and it’s very much aligned with that type of behavior… sort of groupthink. I would say it’s about the same if not worse,” Davis told Lemon during the interview.
King barely survived on March 3, 1991, when he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers during an arrest after a car chase. The brutal incident was caught on tape and caused outrage all over the world.
Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, three days after being brutally beaten by Memphis Police Department officers. It was announced yesterday (Jan. 26) that all five officers that were involved have been both fired and hit with murder charges.