RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, responded to the tragic death of her son during an interview over the weekend where she expressed disappointment over the fact that the police officers involved were black.
Five former Memphis Police Department officers were arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the death of the 29-year-old male, who died earlier this month in a hospital days after a confrontation with police.
Nichols died on January 10, three days after Memphis police pulled him over in a traffic stop, local media reported. Nichols, and the five former police officers charged over his killing, are black.
Authorities stopped Nichols on January 7 for “reckless driving” near Raines Road and Ross Road in Memphis.
Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith have all been charged with two counts of official misconduct, local media reported, with one count of official oppression, second-degree murder, aggravated assault-act in concert, and two counts of aggravated kidnapping.
“I believe in my heart, that my son was here on assignment from God,” Wells told Al Sharpton on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation”. “He finished his assignment and God took him back home. Even though this tragedy happened to my son, I truly believe that there’s going to be a greater good that comes out of this. And that is what keeps me going and continuing to fight this justice for my son because I’m not going to stop until every person that had anything to do with my son’s death is prosecuted to the fullest of the law.”
“I hate the fact that it was five black men that actually did this to another black man,” she added. “My son probably was their age. They just brought disgrace to themselves. You know, I’m not an evil person. My son is not an evil person. We’re gonna forgive these people. I actually want to pray for their families, because their families didn’t deserve any of this either. They just brought disgrace to everyone.”
WATCH:
Mother of Tyre Nichols: ‘I hate it was five black men that did this.’
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 31, 2023
Wells previously told CNN that those who protest her son’s death should not riot because that is not what her son would have wanted.
“I don’t want us burning up our cities, tearing up the streets, because that’s not what my son stood for,” Wells said. “And if you guys are here for me and Tyre, then you will protest peacefully.”