Monday, January 30, 2023

From Rodney King to Tyre Nichols

Also today: A warehouse reuse mixes old wood and new tech, and Denver bets on rental cars to boost EV adoption.

Protests erupted across the US following Friday's release of videos showing the violent and fatal beating of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols by police during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. Graphic footage captured by body and street cameras showed five officers punching, kicking and Tasering Nichols, a Black man, while restraining him on the evening of Jan. 7. Nichols was struck at least nine times in under four minutes, even as he fell to the ground and repeatedly called for his mother. Nichols died in a hospital three days later.

The five officers, who are also Black, have been fired and charged with murder and other offenses. Demonstrators say it's not enough as they renew calls for national police reform, and for more accountability in the handling of police brutality — particularly against Black Americans. For many, the violent nature of Nichols' death has drawn comparisons to the brutal beating of Rodney King, which initially prompted calls for changes in policing back in 1991. Since then, such change has been incremental at best, despite decades of protests. Revisit our updated timeline of protest against police violence, and how they're rooted in generations of injustice and systemic racism. Read more: CityLab University: A Timeline of U.S. Police Protests

— Linda Poon

More on CityLab

Vancouver Embarks on Bold Experiment to Decriminalize Hard Drugs

Possession of small amounts of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and other hard drugs will be allowed in Canada's westernmost province.

Old and New Timber Construction Meet in a Brooklyn Warehouse

Century-old beams and trusses mingle with cross laminated timber in a former metal foundry that's now a startup space for theater artists. 

Denver Bets on Rental Cars to Boost EV Adoption

A new partnership with Hertz will allow residents to try electric vehicles before they buy. It will also provide the city with data on where chargers are needed. 

What we're reading

  • Can community programs help slow the rise in violence? (ProPublica)
  • More Philly tenants facing eviction will be able to get free legal representation (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

  • Mayor Adams promised electric-only Ubers in NYC by 2030. Who's paying? (Gothamist)

  • San Franciscans keep calling 911 about baffling self-driving car behavior (Vice)

  • How Las Vegas declared war on thirsty grass and set an example for the desert Southwest (Los Angeles Times)

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