Memphis man's death after traffic stop sparks protests and investigations of police

Protests broke out near a police station in Memphis, Tennessee, over the weekend, as community members called for the release of body camera footage recorded during a traffic stop earlier this month that directly preceded the death of Tyre D. Nichols. Family, friends and supporters of Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man from Memphis, released balloons to honor his life on Saturday, while protests took place near the site of the traffic stop.

On Jan. 7, Nichols was arrested after officers stopped him for reckless driving, according to authorities, who said later that a confrontation occurred as officers approached him, and Nichols subsequently ran from the scene. They have also referenced another "confrontation" between Nichols and the responding 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 Tuesday, he "succumbed to his injuries," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported last week without describing the nature of those injuries.