Earlier this month, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, a Black man who loved skateboarding in his spare time, was heading home after stopping at a nearby park to take photos of the sun setting. While driving, he was asked to pull over for a traffic stop. Within seconds, a group of Memphis police officers had his vehicle surrounded, shouting over one another with inaudible demands. Frightened and confused, Nichols complied, but he was still beaten so severely that he died in a hospital a few days later.
Yesterday (Jan. 29), civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump shared a video of the victim skateboarding before his demise: “This is how we should remember Tyre Nichols. As we seek justice for his brutal death, the heartfelt words of his family members will drive us forward and be a CONSTANT reminder of why we have to prevent this from ever happening again.” In the clip, Nichols’ family members fondly remembered their loved one enjoying one of his favorite pastimes. There were multiple clips of the 29-year-old skateboarding in different locations and doing tricks. His mother said he would wake up early on Saturday mornings, get coffee from Starbucks and head to a place called Shelby Farms to practice the sport.
I’ve never been more proud of my Memphis Skate Community. They way Black skaters have been supported & the entire skate scene in Memphis has been front & center with the Nichols family. We’ve lost one of our own. We’re all grieving. This is how #TyreNichols will be remembered.🎥 https://t.co/ZxFPTswe44
— Thurman II (@the_thurmanator) January 27, 2023
Since the Jan. 7 attack, Black members of the skateboard community have come together across the country to remember Nichols and skate in his honor. Latosha Stone is a Black woman in Greenville, Ohio who founded her skateboard company, Proper Gnar, in 2012. She told USA Today, “It was just nice to see something positive instead of negative and to be able to remember him in a good light.” The outlet also spoke with Jordan Thrower, 30, a Black skateboard business owner from San Diego, about Nichols. “Everyone that I’ve talked to about it that knew him, they would just all say he was a really good guy, and he was super cool. He was very smooth on his skateboard. I think everyone is really outraged right now in skateboarding, for sure. And that’s the only lens that I’m looking at it through. Everyone’s super sad about it across the board, Black, white, everyone,” he shared.
Sixty-two-year-old Marty Grimes and his late brother Clyde Grimes are widely regarded in the sport after becoming the first Black pro skaters in 1975. Marty added, “It’s obviously a real and systemic problem. And it doesn’t matter if he’s a skateboarder or not.” Members of the skateboarding community in Memphis recently gathered to shine a positive light on his life. One tweet mentioned wanting to remember Nichols “living his best life” instead of how he was taped in the vicious police assault footage.
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This is how we should remember Tyre Nichols. As we seek justice for his brutal death, the heartfelt words of his family members will drive us forward and be a CONSTANT reminder of why we have to prevent this from ever happening again. #CallOutTheCulture
🎥: @WashingtonPost pic.twitter.com/777nhDzWkZ— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 29, 2023
Tyre Nichols should still be here — my heart is extremely heavy.
Tyre was a father of a four year old son. He loved skateboarding, sunsets, and photography… and he should still be here. pic.twitter.com/SNzuuQaZY9
— Jason Wilson (@mrjasonowilson) January 28, 2023
#TyreNichols was a part of our community. He was a skater. He was a young man who did not in any way deserve what happened to him. Our deepest sympathies to his family and to the rest of the Memphis skating community. #skateboarding pic.twitter.com/yRn3xbyfN2
— QAOS Surf & Skate (@embraceqaos) January 27, 2023
Footloose dancing, skateboarding, loving Tyre Nichols’ story told by his family.
Another unarmed Black man killed by the state.
Yes, this remains a broken, racist system. Still #defundthepolice and invest in community. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/FDEYzsg4Nu
— Garrett Plescow Moore (he/him) (@GPMsays) January 27, 2023
I will not share the video of Tyre Nichols being savagely beaten to death by Memphis Police. What I will share is this video montage of him skateboarding, one of his favorite activities, which he was absolutely incredible at. R.I.P.#JusticeforTyreNichols #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/loZjrrY9xR
— Andrew Wortman (@AmoneyResists) January 28, 2023
As we mourn the loss of a man who had much ahead of him, I want to showcase #TyreNichols in his true essence. He was a loving father, considerate son, & loyal friend with a passion for skateboarding & photography. Rest in power & know that we’ll seek justice.
🎥: Austin Dean pic.twitter.com/fYAKPfdlzv
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) January 28, 2023
R.I.P #TyreNichols
This is how his family, his 4 year old son want to remember Tyre Nichols, their son, the father, their friend, as a happy man who loved skateboarding and taking pictures of the sunset. pic.twitter.com/z8aUK1ZovI— Tony (@TonyL_01) January 28, 2023
Tyre Nichols should still be alive today, skateboarding and raising his son.
Police violence devastates families and tears apart communities. We must fundamentally reform our public safety system so it prioritizes peoples' lives and dignity. pic.twitter.com/2CDDzX8rqN
— Giffords (@GiffordsCourage) January 27, 2023
Let's remember the life of Tyre Nichols. He loved skateboarding, he loved life.
His life mattered💔 pic.twitter.com/iwx5mkkpjt— PiT BuLL hugger (@CleggAdrienne) January 28, 2023
Tyre Nichols' family asked people to share this video so that he can be remembered for the way he lived—full of light, hope, and promise. As we demand justice and accountability for his murder, we can't let his death overshadow the memory of his life. #TyreNichols #JusticeForTyre pic.twitter.com/VGxQ3oAA4e
— Board Member Melvoin (@NickMelvoinBD4) January 27, 2023
I feel like Tyre Nichols and I would have been great friends. Fellow skateboarding Clippers fans. I hope justice prevails for this young man whose life was brutally taken away and his family finds peace at some point. #RIP pic.twitter.com/bRq3Rgciug
— Ricky Chu (@RikDaddy) January 28, 2023
Tyre Nichols loved to take photos of sunsets. He was passionate about skateboarding. His dreams and aspirations will not be realized because of a traffic stop by Memphis Police Department officers.
Let us lift him up. https://t.co/uA1nB8eldL
— Legal Defense Fund (@NAACP_LDF) January 27, 2023
learning that #TyreNichols was a skater & watching him skateboarding broke my heart.
He should be alive & his family shouldn't be going through this. NOBODY deserves this.
And I wish they would NOT release video to the public.
I DETEST how today's civil rights attorneys move.— Talila "TL" Lewis (@talilalewis) January 26, 2023
LET’S SHARE THIS POSITIVE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF TYRE NICHOLS HAPPY ALIVE SKATEBOARDING 🛹
LET’S CELEBRATE HIS LIFE #JUSTICETYRENICHOLS #TyreNichols pic.twitter.com/IZa4r4NvVM— DJ Jay Erica (@DJJAYERICA) January 28, 2023