The police who killed Tyre Nichols were Black. But they might still have been driven by racism

Three decades ago, when four White Los Angeles police officers were videotaped beating Rodney King, the public outcry was heard around the world. In fact, I got arrested for the first time in my life during protests that followed. And I subsequently dedicated my career as a lawyer to helping to sue rogue cops, close prisons and reform the criminal justice system. It was a defining moment for the nation and the world.

What happened to King was horrifying — but at least he survived the ordeal. Tyre Nichols, tragically, did not survive his: The 29-year-old Black man died earlier this month after a police traffic stop and violent arrest in Memphis, Tennessee. According to preliminary results of an autopsy commissioned by attorneys for Nichols’ family, he suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.” On Friday, Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells told CNN, “It’s still like a nightmare.”

Since the news of Nichols’ death was made known, the world has been holding its collective breath in anticipation of the release of video that captured the violent assault, and the possibility of a new outpouring of protests spilling into the streets across the country. That video is expected to be released Friday evening.