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Dozens gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall Wednesday to honor the life of Tire Nichols, a recent victim of police violence in Memphis, whose body was being buried.
Intended as a show of solidarity, “Kneeling for Tire” turned out to be far from harmonious.
A shouting match broke out over how the city should prosecute San Francisco Police Department officers involved in deadly shootings. Protesters booed Mayor London Breed as she completed her speech.
Leading the protests was April Green, the aunt of Keita O’Neil, a man who was fatally shot by San Francisco police officer Christopher Samayoa in 2017 during a police chase.
Event organizer Phelicia Jones, founder of the activist group Wealth and Disparities, took the microphone from Breed’s podium.
“You’re not even taking care of your own city,” Green yelled, turning to Breed as Jones tried to speak over her. “You’re not even holding your own police accountable.”
Green and a small group of allies eventually left, citing their own security concerns.
Text messages between Green and Jones, obtained by The Standard, appear to show Jones telling Green that she cannot speak at the event because she is an opponent of SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
In addition to Breed, Supervisor Shamann Walton also spoke, honoring the life of Tire Nichols, who grew up in Sacramento and later moved to Tennessee.
On January 7, Memphis police pulled Nichols over for traffic detention, an incident that resulted in five officers beating and pepper-spraying him. He succumbed to his injuries three days later. He was 29 years old and had a 4-year-old son.
The five Memphis police officers, who have since been fired from the Memphis Police Department, were charged in connection with the case of second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Two of the offices involved, Desmond Mills Jr. and Demetrius Haley, were found to have a history of using excessive physical force to make arrests, during respective incidents in 2019 and 2021, according to The New York Times.
Tire Nichols’ funeral in Memphis was held on Wednesday, with the Rev. Al Sharpton and Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance.
This is a developing story.
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