Local police prepare for possible protests ahead of Tyre Nichols arrest video release

MIAMI - Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says his city and police force are prepared for any possible protest stemming from the release Friday night of videotape from a deadly police brutality case in Memphis, Tennessee.

Authorities say the videotape will show body cam video of the arrest of 29-year-old motorist Tyre Nichols and his beating after a traffic stop on January 7th that lead to his death. Five former Memphis Police Officers are charged with murder and kidnapping after Nichols was allegedly pulled over for reckless driving. The Memphis Police Department said it was not able to substantiate that Nichols had been driving recklessly.

Suarez told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "The city prepares continually for possible manifestations like what we saw with George Floyd. Obviously, we are monitoring the situation very closely with Memphis. Obviously, there are a lot of angry people there from what we are hearing. So we are prepared."

Suarez said Miami police have good relations with the community. He said he pointed that out as well in his annual state of the city address.

He also said, "Last year we had 350,000 interactions with residents and only 237 complaints. That's less than one-tenth of one percent. It shows our officers have the hardest job in America and most do that with compassion. We have to take that into account. We also have to draw a line in the sane. We can not have people damaging property or hurting people and that is something we balanced during the George Floyd disturbances."

In a statement from Miami Police, a spokeswoman said, "The Miami Police Department is aware and will continue to monitor the situation. As always, we're prepared in the event of the possibility of protests and/or demonstrations."

In another statement from Miami-Dade Police, a spokesman said the department was aware of what was happening in Memphis.

The statement said, "Our Homeland Security Bureau continues to closely monitor any possible threat to public safety. All our officers will remain hyper-vigilant and aware of their surroundings. We have all our resources readily available in the event of any mobilization. The safety of all our residents is our primary concern."

A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board said the CRB was working with all police departments in the county and said the CRB was not expected to release a statement until after the videotape was released.

In another statement, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said that they are also monitoring the situation in Memphis. The statement said, "We are in communication with our law enforcement partners and the safety of our residents and visitors will continue to be our top priority."

In a post on Facebook, St. Michael Catholic Church said "Pray for Peace in our City."