Memphis DA: Video Release May Coincide With Charge Decision

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The release of police video related to the death of a Black man after a violent arrest which could take until next week will be carefully timed to avoid the chance that suspects or witnesses tailor their statements to what they saw in the footage, the top prosecutor in Memphis said Tuesday.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told The Associated Press that investigators probing Tyre Nichols Jan. 7 arrest want to complete as many interviews as possible before releasing the video this week or next week. The timetable has rankled activists who expected the video to be released after Nichols family viewed the footage, which occurred on Monday.

Mulroy said he feared that releasing the video too early in the investigation could influence witnesses. He asked for patience from the public.

If you have suspects or persons of interest and they see the video, then they could theoretically ... tailor their statements to law enforcement based on what theyve seen, Mulroy said, speaking in general rather than to this specific case. Even witnesses who are not suspects or not persons of interest, its easy to get confused, and rather than talking to law enforcement about what they themselves remember, they can start confusing it with what they saw on TV.