71 Commands in 13 Minutes: Officers Gave Tyre Nichols Impossible Orders - The New York Times

Police officers unleashed a barrage of commands that were confusing, conflicting and sometimes adjacent intolerable to obey, a Times investigation of footage from Tyre Nichols’s fatal postulation halt found. When Mr. Nichols could not comply — and adjacent erstwhile helium managed to — the officers responded with escalating force.

The reappraisal of the disposable footage recovered that officers shouted astatine slightest 71 commands during the astir 13-minute play earlier they reported implicit the vigor that Mr. Nichols was officially successful custody. The orders were issued astatine 2 locations, 1 adjacent Mr. Nichols’s conveyance and the different successful the country helium had fled to and wherever helium would beryllium severely beaten. The orders were often simultaneous and contradictory. Officers commanded Mr. Nichols to amusement his hands adjacent arsenic they were holding his hands. They told him to get connected the crushed adjacent erstwhile helium was connected the ground. And they ordered him to reposition himself adjacent erstwhile they had power of his body.

Experts accidental the actions of the Memphis constabulary officers were an egregious illustration of a longstanding occupation successful policing successful which officers physically punish civilians for perceived disrespect oregon disobedience — sometimes called “contempt of cop.” The signifier was notoriously prevalent decades ago.

“It was acold much rampant successful the ’80s, erstwhile I started doing constabulary work, than it was successful the ’90s oregon 2000s,” said Geoffrey Alpert, a prof of criminology and transgression justness astatine the University of South Carolina. “Even earlier assemblage cams, cops were getting much nonrecreational and wouldn’t marque it personal, similar it seemed to beryllium successful this case. This is conscionable — it’s truthful acold retired of the norm.”

To mitigate the imaginable for escalation and disorder during constabulary encounters, today’s constabulary grooming typically calls for a azygous serviceman astatine the country to contented wide and circumstantial commands. It besides requires constabulary officers to respond professionally and proportionately to immoderate perceived enactment of defiance.

But The Times’s reappraisal shows that the officers did the nonstop opposite, implicit and over.

The disposable footage does not amusement immoderate motion that the officers contiguous intervened to halt the assertive usage of force. If anything, it shows the contrary.

At 1 point, footage captured an serviceman saying “I anticipation they stomp his ass” aft Mr. Nichols’s effort to fly the scene.

When asked for remark connected the officers’ behaviour astatine the postulation stop, a spokesperson from the Memphis Police Department said: “All accusation that is disposable astatine this constituent has been released. However, cognize that this probe remains ongoing.” The Memphis Police Association besides said it could not remark due to the fact that of the ongoing investigation.

The Times’s investigation is based connected footage from constabulary assemblage cams and thoroughfare cameras released by the City of Memphis and synchronized by The Times.

Here are 4 cardinal moments successful which officers punished Mr. Nichols for not complying with flawed commands. These videos incorporate scenes of graphic violence.

Confusing Orders

The footage begins with a constabulary serviceman driving up to the intersection wherever Mr. Nichols’s car had been boxed successful by 2 unmarked constabulary vehicles.

The serviceman jumps retired with his firearm drawn and joins a brace of officers rushing toward the beforehand seat.

One serviceman pulls Mr. Nichols retired of his car, and each 3 officers instantly commencement screaming “On the ground!”

These are the archetypal orders successful the bombardment of confusing commands that confound Mr. Nichols and punctual a cascade of retribution.

Mr. Nichols points retired that helium is sitting connected the ground, arsenic the officers instructed him to do.

But aggregate officers outcry the aforesaid bid implicit and implicit with intensifying vexation and carnal threats.

“Get connected the ground!” 1 orders. “I’m gonna tase your ass.”

It yet becomes evident that the officers would similar Mr. Nichols not lone connected the crushed but besides lying down.

When Mr. Nichols repositions himself, it appears to further antagonize the officers. He tries to convey that helium poses nary threat.

“You guys are truly doing a batch close now,” helium says. “I’m conscionable trying to spell home.”

With officers pinning down his arms, pressing a taser against his limb and barking intensifying verbal threats, Mr. Nichols explodes: “I americium connected the ground!”

Finally, 1 of the officers yells much circumstantial instructions: “On your stomach.”

Three seconds later, 1 of the officers shoots capsicum spray into Mr. Nichols’s face.

Contradictory Commands

After fleeing connected foot, Mr. Nichols is seen lying connected the crushed a fewer 100 yards distant from his car, flanked by officers demanding that helium springiness them his hands. But 1 of them is gripping his near arm, and the different is holding his right. It’s not wide however the officers expect Mr. Nichols to move.

Then a 3rd serviceman runs up with a tin of capsicum spray.

“You’re astir to get sprayed good,” helium says. The others commencement punching Mr. Nichols’s face.

Mr. Nichols responds by pulling his hands backmost to support himself. The punching intensifies, and the capsicum spray is fired.

Wiping the capsicum spray from his eyes, Mr. Nichols tries assuring them that helium is going to comply.

“OK,” helium says. “All right. All right.”

But conscionable arsenic 1 of the officers gets clasp of him, a caller serviceman arrives and besides demands that Mr. Nichols springiness him his hands. Again, Mr. Nichols is incapable to travel the conflicting directions. He flails about, which lone multiplies the constabulary officers’ commands and the carnal punishment they inflict. He is doused with capsicum spray for a 3rd time.

Orders Not Resisted

Two officers basal supra Mr. Nichols, who is lying connected his broadside and rubbing his eyes aft being pepper-sprayed 3 times. An serviceman kicks Mr. Nichols successful the face. Mr. Nichols appears to beryllium hardly conscious oregon coherent, but officers dainty him arsenic if helium is resisting orders.

“Lay flat, goddamn it,” 1 serviceman commands.

Mr. Nichols moans and writhes connected the ground. By this point, helium has been tased, kicked successful the caput doubly and punched and pepper-sprayed repeatedly.

“Lay flat,” different serviceman shouts.

Mr. Nichols is lying limp arsenic an officer, without immoderate evident difficulty, snaps a brace of handcuffs to 1 of his wrists.

Impossible Orders

Officers proceed to contented commands portion simultaneously constraining, controlling and beating Mr. Nichols successful ways that render it physically intolerable for him to travel those commands.

One serviceman uses Mr. Nichols’s handcuffed limb to propulsion his assemblage from the crushed and into a kneeling position. Then different serviceman strikes him with a baton 3 times, yelling “Give america your hands!”

Surrounded by 4 officers, helium tries to determination distant from the baton.

“Give maine your fucking hands!” 1 serviceman shouts.

But Mr. Nichols — with 1 serviceman pinning his arms down his back, different gripping his handcuffed wrist and a 3rd punching his look — cannot comply.

Mr. Nichols doubles implicit and calls retired for his mother. The blows continue.

Five officers person been fired and charged with second-degree murder. Lawyers for 2 of them said successful a quality league past week that their clients intended to plead not guilty.

Ishaan Jhaveri and Christoph Koettl contributed reporting.