Police group speaks out against 'brutal assault' in Tyre Nichols case: 'It is sickening'

The nation’s largest law enforcement organization spoke out on Friday against the “brutal assault” of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, who was fatally injured during a traffic stop by Memphis police earlier this month.

“The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong,” Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said in a statement. “This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law.”

Nichols was pulled over by Memphis police on Jan. 7 on suspicion of reckless driving and was pepper-sprayed, tased and beaten, according to footage of the incident released on Friday night.

“The fact that none of those officers—NONE of them—acted to stop this vicious attack, only compounds my horror—it is sickening,” Yoes added.

Five Memphis police officers were fired last week and charged on Thursday with second-degree murder for their involvement in Nichols’ death.

“The men arrested and charged for this crime have rights, the presumption of innocence, and the due process protections of anyone accused of a crime,” Yoes said. “But the bottom line here is that Tyre Nichols, his family, and our entire country need to see justice done—swiftly and surely.”