An organized protest is taking place in Dallas Friday evening amidst the release of Memphis police body cam footage related to the beating death of Tyree Nichols.
The Next Generation Network will be leading that protest according to a Facebook post. The event will be taking place at 6:30 p.m. outside Dallas police headquarters at 1400 Botham Jean Blvd.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx worker, died three days after being beaten by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee during a traffic stop. The five police officers involved have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder, as well as other counts related to the death of Nichols.
Police body cam footage of the traffic stop is expected to be released Friday evening. Family attorney Antonio Romanucci describes it as an “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” of three minutes, as reported by NBCDFW.
Dallas Police say Chief Eddie Garcia and his command staff have been in touch with community and faith leaders along with other law enforcement agencies and city departments. In a statement, the department says its Fusion Center is sharing intelligence with other agencies and watching for threats to groups of people or infrastructure.
"Our goal will continue to be to protect an individual’s constitutional right to protest," Dallas Police wrote in a statement. "As a department, we will ensure anyone who chooses to peacefully protest can do so safely and securely in our city."
Dallas Police said they had not received any credible threats of violence.
"We understand the emotion the criminal charges on these former officers have caused, and that emotions may intensify when the video footage is released," the department said. "While we respect everyone’s right to protest, no matter their position, we will NOT condone lawlessness in our city. We will take the appropriate action if anyone’s actions threaten lives or harm people or property."
"Law enforcement has to be respected again in our society," State Senator Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) said in an interview Friday. "We've lost control. I'll be very candid. My assessment is, culturally, we just don't understand the value law enforcement provides every single day."
Parker said the shooting July 7, 2016, when four Dallas Police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were killed while escorting a police protest in Downtown Dallas, highlights the danger officers face while still protecting those who disagree with them.
"At the end of the day, the safety and security of all of us in this country, 30 million Texans and 330 million Americans all depend on law enforcement doing their job every day," he said. "We've got to have reverence and respect for law enforcement."
Dallas Police said response teams are standing by, and additional patrols will be added as needed.
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