Tyre Nichols, the man who died this month after an alleged beating by five police officers, was "damn near perfect," his mother RowVaughn Wells said at a press conference on Monday. The 29-year-old Nichols had been living in Memphis, Tennessee, with his parents since the pandemic, according to his mother. Although he lived in Memphis at the time of his death, Nichols had previously lived in California. He had just started a job at FedEx working alongside his stepfather, Rodney Wells.
"He was very, very beloved at my job. Everybody's calling me with blessings, prayers [and] showing sympathy for what happened," Rodney Wells said."He only worked at FedEx for maybe nine months, but you should see the out pour of love and support," RowVaughn Wells said.The Wells' said that Nichols was passionate about skateboarding and photography, hobbies he engaged in during his downtime on weekends."Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way," Nichols stated on his photography page. "It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people."
His mother recalled the morning three days before her son's death. She said she had been preparing chicken for dinner that afternoon and planned to cook it his favorite way. At a press conference Friday, she said that Nichols was coming from Shelby Farms, a local park where he liked to go and take pictures of the sunset, on the day of his ultimately fatal encounter. Officers pulled over Nichols that Friday due to "reckless driving," according to Memphis police reports.
Brutal body camera video showing Tyre Nichols being beaten, pepper sprayed and Tasered by multiple cops during a traffic stop earlier this month was released by the Memphis Police Department on Friday. The FedEx worker who had no known police record claims he “didn’t do anything,” as the five black officers attempt to detain him, but before they can cuff him he escapes, leading to a second altercation where they kick, club and beat him, leaving him limp and unconscious.
During the second incident which took place just 100 yards from his home the 29-year-old dad, who was also black, repeatedly yells “Mom!” as officers attempt to handcuff him. Nichols, moaning in pain, says “alright” and appears to give up as the police pin him on his stomach and cuff him. Nichols would succumb to his injuries in the hospital three days later.
