The family of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old black man who died after being beaten by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, during a traffic stop earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit against the city and the Memphis Police Department (MPD), seeking a jury trial and $550 million in damages.
Nichols was pulled over for alleged reckless driving. During the stop, Nichols and the responding officers had a “confrontation” after which Nichols fled. When the officers caught up with Nichols, they allegedly beat him. Nichols died in a hospital on Jan. 10, three days after sustaining injuries during his arrest.
The family and Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, have employed high-profile attorney Ben Crump, who also represented the family of George Floyd in a similar case. Crump said in a press conference Wednesday that this lawsuit is meant to set a precedent….