In wake of Tyre Nichols' death, Asheville police increasing presence
ASHEVILLE - Anticipating possible "unrest," Asheville police are increasing their presence downtown on Jan. 27.
"We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and in light of the possibility of unrest downtown, the department will have extra officers throughout the central business district," Asheville police spokesperson Samantha Booth said in an email to the Citizen Times. "We want to ensure the safety of all and protect lives and property."
Reporting on Tyre Nichols' death:Tyre Nichols 'suffered extensive bleeding', lawyers say after seeing early autopsy results
More:Tense Memphis mourns Tyre Nichols, awaits release of video
In Memphis, five Black police officers have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tyre DeAndre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was reportedly severely beaten at a traffic stop earlier this month. Details have been sparse in the case, but an independent autopsy described by his family's attorneys found that Nichols "suffered extensive bleeding" from a severe beating, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported.
Footage of the beating is expected to be released by the city on the evening of Jan. 27.
Asheville saw massive protests that included some violence in 2020, after Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd by kneeling on him for nine minutes.
Ryan Oehrli covers public safety, breaking news and other beats for the Citizen Times. Comments? Questions? Tips? Send them to coehrli@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: In wake of Tyre Nichols' death, Asheville police increasing presence
