Crime & Safety
Chicago Police, OEMC 'Closely Monitoring' Tyre Nichols Video Release
CPD said there is currently no actionable intelligence of any trouble ahead of the release of video of Memphis Police beating a Black man.
CHICAGO — Chicago Police Department officials said Friday that they are closely monitoring the release of video footage of five Memphis police officers beating a Black man, which led to his death.
The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes in the killing of Tyre Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 7.
Footage of the arrest is scheduled to be released publicly on Friday evening.
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In a statement issued to Patch on Friday, CPD officials said they, along with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, are “closely monitoring” the release of about an hour of body cam footage from the Memphis Police Department on Friday evening.
The footage is scheduled to be released at around 6 p.m. CST.
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“There is no actionable intelligence in Chicago at this time and resources will be adjusted as necessary as this situation develops,” the two departments said Friday in a joint statement. “We also regularly conduct mobilization and tabletop exercises, with the most recent occurring this week, to ensure an appropriate response to any potential active incidents.”
CNN reported this week that police departments across the nation are taking precautions in advance of the release of the footage.
Nichols' family members and their lawyers said the footage shows officers savagely beating the 29-year-old FedEx worker for three minutes in an assault the legal team likened to the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
Memphis Police Director Cerelyn Davis described the officers' actions as "heinous, reckless, and inhumane" and said Friday that her department could not substantiate the reckless driving allegation that prompted the stop.
The officers each face second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Four of the five officers had posted bond as of Friday morning and had been released from custody, according to court and jail records.
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