The mother of Tire Nichols said she was disappointed that her son was brutally beaten by five black police officers in Memphis on Jan. 10 while he was on his way to her home.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said the officers brought shame to their families and communities.
“I hate the fact that five black men actually did this to another black man,” Wells told MSNBC. “My son was probably their age.”
The 29-year-old was near his mother’s house when it happened and called out to her while he was being beaten.
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“They just embarrassed themselves,” she continued. “I’m not a bad person, my son is not a bad person… I’m praying for the families (of the officers) because their families didn’t deserve any of this either.”
Nichols was a photographer and skateboarder and had been out photographing the Memphis sky shortly before the incident.
This is Tire Nichols.
Last night, at a vigil in his honor, his mother smiled as she watched skateboarders use the same park as her son.
Tire left behind a 4-year-old son. pic.twitter.com/V7WA2hlXeb
— Dakarai Turner (@Dakarai_Turner) January 28, 2023
“I believe in my heart that my son was given an assignment from God,” Wells said. “He finished his task and God brought him home.”
Wells called for all protests on her son’s behalf to remain peaceful.
All five former officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — have already been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.
Speaking to The Associated Press in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump said it “never should have happened.”
“I thought it was terrible. He was in such trouble. They just beat him. It should never have happened,” Trump said.
Trump also told the paper that Nichols screaming for his mother was a “very sad moment.”
Joe Biden also condemned the beating, but brought race into it – even though all the police officers are black.
“Like many, I was outraged and deeply hurt when I saw the horrific video of the beating that resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols,” Biden said in a statement after the videos were released to the public. “It’s another painful reminder of the deep fear and trauma, pain and exhaustion that black and brown Americans experience every day.”
“My heart goes out to the family of Tyre Nichols and Americans in Memphis and across the country who are grieving this terribly painful loss,” Biden said. “The footage released tonight will leave people rightly outraged. Those seeking justice should not resort to violence or destruction. Violence is never acceptable; it is illegal and destructive. I join Mr. Nichols’ family in calling for a peaceful protest.”