A skate park in California has been dedicated in honor of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died in January after he was brutally beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop.
On Sunday (June 11) Sacramento officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly renovated skate park named after Nichols, an avid skateboarder said to have spent much of his youth at the park, WREG reports.
Nichols died on January 10, three days after being pulled over by Memphis police officers. Police footage shows officers repeatedly punched, kicked, and hit Nichols with a baton during the January 7 traffic stop that led to his hospitalization and death.
Five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, and Desmond Mills Jr. — were fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Nichols' death. They have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Nichols moved to Memphis, Tennessee shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and lived there with his mother and stepfather. Aside from skateboarding, Nichols also enjoyed photography.
“Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people,” Nichols wrote on a website showcasing his photos.
His family has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Memphis, Tennessee, Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, and the individual officers involved in the brutal beating that led to his death.
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