NEW ORLEANS — With authorities Authorities set to release police video on Friday depicting five Memphis officers beating a Black man whose death resulted in murder charges and provoked outrage at the country’s latest instance of police brutality New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michelle Woodfork released a statement on the situation.
Woodfork said the following in a statement:
"On behalf of the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department, we offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Tyre Nichols. We empathize with the pain and outrage many of you may feel following the body-worn camera video footage release. We understand that you may want to express your feelings by exercising your right to protest. We encourage you to please do so safely and peacefully. Maintaining the safety of our citizens is our first priority, and the NOPD wants to ensure the public that we are here to protect and serve, not cause further division. "
Family members of Tyre Nichols pleaded for any protests to remain peaceful.
The officers, all of whom are Black, were charged Thursday with murder and other crimes in the killing of Nichols, a motorist who died three days after a Jan. 7 confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop.
Nichols was on his way home from taking pictures of the sky on Jan. 7, when police pulled him over. He was just a few minutes from the home he shared with his mother and stepfather, when he was killed in what authorities have described as a brutal attack by five Memphis police officers, who have since been charged with second-degree murder and other offenses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
