NLE Choppa announced his plans to launch the #SkateForTyre Foundation in aid of the family of Tyre Nichols after he was beaten to death by five Memphis cops.
The “Do It Again” hitmaker held a peaceful protest in Memphis last weekend (Jan. 28) and invited everybody to skate in honor of avid skateboarder Tyre Nichols. He now plans to create a foundation around Tyre’s love of skating to raise funds for the murdered man’s family.
Thank You God, Please Keep Using Me, I SURRENDER !! #SkateForTyre #JusticeforTyreNichols ✊🏾🕊️🤲 pic.twitter.com/kvjuVT5X04
— NLE Choppa (@Nlechoppa1) January 29, 2023
NLE Choppa told TMZ that he learned to skate during last week’s protest and has been practicing every day since. He revealed his plans for the Skate For Tyre foundation to raise money for the family Tyre Nichols left behind. He specifically wants to support Tyre’s four-year-old son.
The Memphis native shared his concern for how “traumatizing” it’s likely to be when the little boy views the brutal videos of cops beating his father to death.
He also said the manner in which the bodycam video was released “like it was a Showtime fight night,” caused, “a lot of discomfort to my soul.” He called out the media for broadcasting graphic videos showing the killing of Black people at the hands of the police on primetime television.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that an initial police report filed in the hours following the Tyre Nichols traffic stop contradicts the police bodycam footage. The report suggested Tyre was violent and “started to fight” with officers, even grabbing one of their guns.
Despite the brutal beating witnessed in the bodycam videos, the report “did not mention the officers punching and kicking Nichols.” Tyre Nichols is reportedly identified as a suspect in an aggravated assault, even though the police footage does not appear to back that up.