In an exclusive clip offered to The Root from “Never Made It Home: The Story of Tyre Nichols” from ABC News’ “Impact x Nightline,” we are given a look into what life was like for the family of Tyre Nichols after he was brutally beaten by a group of Memphis police officers.
During the interview with ABC’s “Nightline” anchor Byron Pitts, RowVaughn Wells, Tyre’s mother, received a call from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office about the results of her son’s autopsy - which came four months after the incident. Holding her husband’s hand, she listened to the extensive list of blunt force injuries, hemorrhages and contusions their son suffered.
To the Wells family, the autopsy results confirmed that the truth of the case was being covered up from the moment the police arrived on their doorstep. What the authorities told them didn’t add up to what they observed when they went to see Nichols in the hospital.
“They just lied about every everything. When they came to the door. They just started out lying. And it’s terrible that people that you expect to protect and serve,” Ms. Wells told ABC’s “Impact x Nightline.”
What Happened?
On the evening of Jan. 7, Nichols was headed home after taking photos of the sunset when he was pulled over for allegedly driving under the influence. Members of the Memphis SCORPION unit approached his vehicle, they pulled him out of his car and beat him. He fled the scene in an effort to make it to his house just yards away, but Nichols encountered another group of officers in unmarked cars.
Nichols was beaten unconscious and wasn’t given proper medical aid. He died three days later in the hospital.
What’s The Point?
Bringing justice doesn’t look like a multimillion dollar lawsuit or even a guilty verdict for the officers involved. To the Wells, justice means changing the law to avoid another brutal incident like this from happening again.
“You can’t bring justice for Tyre. Even if the officers get convicted and get life in prison, it’s not going to bring Tyre back,” said Rodney Wells, Tyre Nichols’ stepfather.