California skate park named after Black motorist who was beaten to death by police

Tyre Nichols spent much of his youth at a skatepark outside Sacramento, CA

Officials dedicated a California skate park Sunday in honor of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who spent much of his youth in the state and was killed last January in what prosecutors said was a fatal beating by police in Tennessee during a traffic stop.

An avid skateboarder, Nichols spent much time as a youth at the park on the outskirts of Sacramento. City officials and others held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated skate park now named for Nichols.

TYRE NICHOLS CASE: MEMPHIS JUDGE DELAYS RELEASE OF VIDEO AND RECORDS

Nichols moved to Memphis, Tennessee, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic and lived there with his mother and stepfather. He enjoyed photography — especially taking photos of landscapes and sunsets.

"Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people," Nichols wrote on his website showcasing his photos.

Anna Reynolds-Madsen, 9, performs tricks on a ramp after a ribbon-cutting celebration for the Tyre Nichols Skate Park on June 11, 2023, in Sacramento, California. (Sara Nevis/The Sacramento Bee via AP)

On the night of Jan. 7, Memphis police pulled over Nichols on his way home from taking pictures of the sky. Just a few minutes from home, he was brutally attacked by several police officers, according to a lawsuit Nichols' family filed against Memphis police.

Nichols died three days later at a hospital. Five Memphis officers were fired and have been charged with murder and other offenses in the death. The officers, who are all Black, each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

The lawsuit his family filed against Memphis police in April seeks $500 million in damages.

The death of Nichols, a 29-year-old father and FedEx worker, has raised fresh questions about police violence against unarmed Black men.