LA Protest Erupts Over 'Grotesque' Memphis Police Beating

LOS ANGELES, CA — A small protest outside the Los Angeles Department headquarters Friday night led to a standoff with police in riot gear hours after authorities made public the body cam footage of the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee.

About 200 protestors had gathered to protest the deaths of Nichols as well as Keenan Anderson, who died in LAPD custody this month after being repeatedly shot by a Taser. After the LAPD issued a disperse order to protesters, some members of the crowd surrounded parked police cars and banged on a patrol car with an officer inside, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Shortly after 10 p.m., about 30 protestors remained in a standoff with police as smoke filled the air, the newspaper reported. The demonstrators blocked the intersection of First and Main streets near the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters.

Before the release of the video, police and the city braced for possible protests such as the demonstrations that followed the death of Geroge Floyd, who died after Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck.

"The Los Angeles Police Department is closely monitoring the impending release of the body-worn video and other relevant video involving the inexcusable death of Tyre Nichols, at the hands of former Memphis police officers," the LAPD said in a written release. "We have not identified any specific, credible threat of violence related to this incident and (are) encouraged by the calls from various community and faith leaders calling for unity and peaceful demonstrations and protests," the department said in a statement Friday."

The department had not declared a tactical alert though nearby Long Beach Police Department did declare a precautionary "Stage 2 Tactical Alert," meaning the department prepared additional officers on patrol. Later in the night, the Long Beach Police Department called off its tactical when no demonstrations emerged in the city.

The Memphis Police Department released the videos Friday. Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, three days after he was beaten by police officers after a traffic stop. Five Black police officers allegedly involved in the confrontation and beating of Nichols were fired last week, and all were charged this week with second-degree murder and other offenses.

The disturbing video depicts a Jan. 7 traffic stop in Memphis that led to the death in a hospital three days later of Tyre Nichols.

Multiple videos from the scene show officers threatening to tase him even as he attempts to comply with their orders to get down on the ground following a traffic stop. Over and over again, he says, "All right, all right, all right. I am just trying to get home." One video shows officers holding Nichols down on the ground as another officer repeatedly kicks him in the head.

The police body camera video shows the officers repeatedly beating the man, even as he is on the ground. Toward the end, Nichols is heard screaming for his mother.

"The grotesque actions I watched in the video were incredibly disturbing, cruel and inhumane," Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said in a statement. "To witness former Memphis police officers engaged in such unjustified and excessive force at the expense of Tyre Nichols' life angers me as a police officer, as an American.

"This behavior goes against every principle of the law enforcement profession and is in direct contradiction to the dedication and sacrifice of the vast majority of our members who strive to protect and serve. The violation of trust tarnishes our badge and has a caustic effect on the public's trust."

Long Beach police Chief Wally Hebeish called the video "disturbing and appalling."

"As a profession, we are required to de-escalate situations, intervene when necessary and strive to find peaceful resolutions to incidents," Hebeish said. "The actions depicted in the video of the former Memphis police officers are intolerable."

Demonstrations were already scheduled in Los Angeles throughout the week, including a vigil planned outside LAPD Headquarters at 100 Spring Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Demonstrations were also scheduled throughout the day Saturday by local activist groups.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department also said it is monitoring for protests and is working in tandem with other area law enforcement agencies.

"The sheriff's department is in continuous contact with our local, state and federal partners concerning ongoing events in their jurisdictions," according to a department statement. "The department has also been engaged in community outreach efforts including valued dialogue with civic leaders throughout the week and will continue to do so. Our patrol stations and specialized units remain in a state of readiness to respond to any disturbances that might occur.

Some city of Los Angeles neighborhood councils received messages from the LAPD this week saying police are aware of the pending release of the video and the possibility of protests, and noting that the department is prepared to respond and facilitate peaceful demonstrations. The messages noted that there were no known "threats or protests" in the city in advance of the video's release.

“We have a precedent that has been set here in Memphis and we intend to hold this blueprint for all of America from this day forward,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a news conference Friday. Crump is representing Nichols' family.

Crump has hailed Memphis officials for acting swiftly to fire the officers involved and charge them with murder. But he compared the video of Nichols' beating to that of King.

"Regrettably, it reminded us of (the) Rodney King video," Crump said. "Regrettably, unlike Rodney King, Tyre didn't survive."

The 1991 LAPD beating of Rodney King led to an overhauling of LAPD management and ultimately sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots that left more than 60 people dead and caused more than $1 billion in damage.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement saying her heart "aches for Tyre's family and all who loved him."

"Our country has a problem that we cannot run away from — we must confront it," Bass said. "All communities deserve police that will always protect them. It is commendable that the Police Chief and officials in Memphis fired, arrested and filed murder charges against these officers. True justice, however, is not a guilty verdict. True justice would be Tyre being alive today. As the people of Los Angeles process and react to this horrific killing, we must move with purpose and peace."

City News Service contributed to this report.