Think carefully before watching video of beating that led to Tyre Nichols' death, says social worker

A clinical social worker in Halifax is urging people to think deeply before watching the horrific video of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police officers.

The video of five Memphis, Tenn. officers violently arresting the 29-year-old last month has been circulating online as his death sparks yet another reckoning with police brutality against Black people.

"If we're watching it and sharing this video without any level of accountability.… I'm mindful that that can be harmful to others," Lana MacLean told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax.

"So I'd say be very selective. You don't have to share everything and you don't have to watch everything. You can have boundaries."

For her, it meant being "cognitively prepared and emotionally available" before watching elements of the video over the weekend.

Listen to the full interview with Lana MacLean:

MacLean has not watched the entire video and doesn't plan to.

"I'm a woman of African Nova Scotian descent, and for me it triggers a history of inter-generational trauma around how Black bodies are bruised, broken and beaten," she said.

Nichols died in hospital on Jan. 10, just days after he was stopped in his car by five Black officers who have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

MacLean has been speaking with members of the African Nova Scotian community since then. Parents of young boys have been feeling particularly vulnerable and traumatized, she said.

"Within the African Nova Scotian community, it's two degrees of separation," she said. "Most of us know someone who's been impacted by some form of trauma, and/or know someone who has had … unjustified run-ins with police."

Watching a video like this can be destabilizing for a lot of people, MacLean said. She tries to coach people to process the experience without feeling overwhelmed. 

What action will you take?

MacLean said she doesn't judge anyone who decides to watch the video, but pushed back at the idea that people should watch it as a way to bear witness to police violence.

The risk is that people become desensitized, she said. 

"Is it going to change something that you're willing to do to improve the social situation or to improve or to challenge police brutality?" MacLean asked.

El Jones, chair of the Halifax Board of Commissioners' sub-committee on defunding police, said Nichols' death is a tragic reminder of what's changed, and what hasn't, since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020.

"Why do we need that spectacle to understand the humanity of Black people and why are we constantly seeing Black bodies framed in violence in this way and what does it mean when we only see these kind of images?" Jones told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia.

Listen to El Jones full interview here:

During Nichols' funeral in Memphis on Wednesday, he was remembered as "a beautiful soul, a son, a father, a brother, a friend" as attendees also expressed anger and called for justice. 

MacLean said she's tried to focus on the reaction of Nichols' mother in the days after his death, who, in the midst of her pain shared a message of grace and empathy.

"I was more curious about ... her generosity, which are those African principles of leaning into community and healing," MacLean said. "That I found more powerful, her response, than what I saw in those snippets of time about the brutality of who we are as people."

Mental health supports

People who are looking for mental health support are encouraged to call their local clinic, the mental health and addictions intake line at 1-855-922-1122 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AT on weekdays, or the province's toll-free mental health crisis line at 1-888-429-8167, which is available 24 hours, seven days a week.

People can also contact the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 anytime of day.

If you're experiencing an emergency, call 911. 

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.