Tyre Nichols “died of brain injuries from blunt force trauma,” according to the medical examiner’s formal autopsy report, the district attorney’s office informed Tyre Nichols’ family on Tuesday.
Nichols’ mother said that first responders told her that her son was intoxicated and high, but the report, according to the district attorney’s office, shows that his blood alcohol level was.049. According to the district attorney’s office, that was “well less than the legal limit to drive.”
Nichols’ mother didn’t think her son was drunk when the incident happened.
The autopsy will soon be made public, the district attorney’s office informed the Nichols family.
Tyre Nichols, who was 29 years old, passed away three days after he was beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop on January 7th. Video footage of the incident shows officers repeatedly striking Nichols. As a result, seven Memphis Police Department officers involved in the arrest were fired, and five of them were charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.
According to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, Nichols’ autopsy is nearing completion, and his office anticipates that it will confirm that Nichols died from injuries sustained during the beating by the officers.
The official autopsy report, which was released on Wednesday, confirms their suspicions that Nichols’ death was caused by injuries sustained during his encounter with the police. The report states that Nichols suffered “extensive blunt force trauma” to his head and neck, including a fractured skull and broken vertebrae.
A preliminary independent autopsycommissioned by Nichols’ family in January found that he suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”
The attorneys for Nichols’ family said Wednesday that the contents of the medical examiner’s report are “highly consistent with our own reporting back in January of this year.”
“We know now what we knew then. Tyre Nichols died from blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide,” the attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said in a statement. “The official autopsy report further propels our commitment to seeking justice for this senseless tragedy.”