Federal investigators open civil rights probe into death of Memphis man after traffic stop

Federal authorities announced Wednesday they are launching a civil rights investigation into the actions of Memphis police after a 29-year-old Black man died three days after a traffic stop by officers.

On Jan. 7, Tyre Nichols was arrested after officers stopped him for reckless driving, Memphis police said. According to police, a confrontation occurred as officers approached him, and Nichols subsequently ran from the scene. Police also referenced another "confrontation" between Nichols and officers before he was ultimately caught and arrested.

"Afterward, the suspect complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called," and Nichols was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said. On Jan. 10, he "succumbed to his injuries," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported last week, without describing the nature of those injuries.