MANCHESTER, Conn. — Protests were held across the U.S. and right here at home following Friday's release of body camera footage of the killing of Tyre Nichols.
This comes a day after the public release of the video showing the police beating of Nichols. One was held in Manchester.
“That’s what I’m choosing to uplift today is the human being, the complex human being that was full of life and had lots of interests,” said Linda Blakesley.
Tyre Nichols was a 29-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee. According to his family, he enjoyed sunsets and skateboarding. These things brought joy to his life.
He lost his life on January 10, three days after he was beaten by five Memphis police officers who are now being charged with murder.
"No mother, no mother should go through what I'm going through right now, to lose my child in the violent way that I lost my child,” said Tyre’s mom, RowVaughn Wells.
The body camera video of the beating released on Friday sparked protests across the country and right here in Connecticut.
“Truthfully, even as a white person it was difficult to watch that brutality again against a Black man perpetrated by the police, the police system, the police culture,” said Blakesley.
One of the five officers, Desmond Mills Jr. is from Bloomfield.
“I am hoping that all of the officers there because there was definitely more than five in the video, all the officers and first responders that were there get fired and prosecuted as appropriate.”
While the group, Power Up Connecticut and community members stood in solidarity with the Nichols family from thousands of miles away, their message was to end police brutality and remember Tyre for the person he was.
"How many times do we have to show up in front of police stations? In front of city halls? In front of courthouses?” asked Keren Prescott
Their message was to end police brutality and remember Tyre for the person he was.
“He was a human being, a brother to all of us. So, it hits close to home any time any of this happens throughout the country. It could happen here. It can happen anywhere, and it is,” said Blakesley.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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