From Eric Garner to George Floyd,  this nation’s youth have been  bombarded with far too many images of police mistreating men of color. 

However, yet again, the American disease known as police brutality has put another Black man in the ground, and another mother has to live knowing she will never hear the voice of her son again. 

When will it end?

On the evening of Saturday,  January 7, in the Hickory Hill neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, 29 year old Tyre Nichols, a nature photographer and avid skateboarder, was pulled over for what may be considered reckless driving. However, this traffic stop would turn into the brutal beating of a young Black male, which led to his death. 

A video released by the Memphis Police Department shows the officers—who are Black—roughly pulling Mr. Nichols out of his vehicle. The video was nearly 30 minutes long, and shows the fatal confrontation between the police officers and the unarmed Tyre Nichols.

One may wonder: is this the way a traffic stop should be conducted?

In the video, one of the  police officers is shouting “get the f*** out of the car,” to which Nichols responds that he hadn’t done anything. The  officers can be heard repeatedly shouting,  “get on the ground.” 

Later, it’s clear Nichols is compliant as he tells the officers  he’s “on the ground.” However, afraid for his life,  he runs and is later caught by officers close to his home. What follows is another violent beat down of a defenseless Black man. 

On Thursday, January 26, a grand jury filed an indictment against the five officers involved, members of a specialized SCORPION unit. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith, have been charged with second degree murder, kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. They were also fired for their actions that resulted in Nichols’ death.

According to the Memphis Police Department, the SCORPION unit was created in November of 2021 to reduce violent crime in some parts of the city. SCORPION is an acronym that stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods.

In a statement, the Memphis Police Department claimed that, “the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title Scorpion.” They also announced that “it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department, take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.” 

On Saturday, January 28, three weeks after the attack, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis took action and disbanded the unit.

Over the years, America has seen several unarmed Black men killed at the hands of the police. On January 10, Tyre Nichols joined the group of those who lost their lives to this disease. In a roughly 30 minute video, the world saw Nichols call for his mom while being violently assaulted by five police officers whose job it was to protect the innocent. 

On May 25 of 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes. This resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death. The world heard the words “I can’t breathe,” and Floyd calling for his mom, which started a movement around the globe.

Similarly, in the Tyre Nichols incident,  people can also overhear Nichols calling for his mom. The Memphis police officers have caused another Black man to plead for his life, while crying out for his mother.