President Joe Biden calls for calm over police murder charges

President Joe Biden is urging protests in Tennessee to remain peaceful as officials plan to release video of an arrest that led to a man’s death. 

Five Memphis police officers have been fired and are facing murder charges after Tyre Nichols, 29, died three days after a traffic stop on 7 January. 

Footage from the stop is set to be made public on Friday evening local time. 

Lawyers for the Nichols family said it will show him being severely beaten. 

“I’m sickened by what I saw,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director David Rausch said on Thursday after reviewing the footage, describing the officers’ actions as “absolutely appalling”.

The city of Memphis has stepped up police patrols as they prepare for possible demonstrations. 

Mr Nichols, a black man, was stopped by five cops, who are also black, on his way home after taking photos of a sunset at a local park, an attorney for the family said. 

Officials claim he was suspected of reckless driving. 

A confrontation occurred, which a lawyer for the Nichols family likened to the beating of Rodney King. 

Bodycam footage shows, according to the lawyer, Mr Nichols being pepper-sprayed, tasered, restrained and kicked. 

All five of the officers face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith were booked into jail on Thursday.