The skate park in Memphis was slowly filling up with people as they gathered for a memorial for Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old who was killed by police officers. The incident, which was caught on video, has sparked outrage and led to five officers being charged with murder. Another officer has been suspended and the unit they were a part of has been disbanded. While Nichols’ death has become another name on the list of victims of police violence, for his friends who had known him for a long time, it is a personal and painful loss.
The friends of Nichols, who had moved to Memphis in 2020, have tried to avoid watching the video of the brutal beating. Instead, they choose to remember Nichols as they knew him, cherishing the memories they had together. The pain of his loss is so intense that some of them try to sleep it off on days when it becomes too overwhelming. The distance and lack of constant communication that comes with getting older also adds to the difficulty of coping with his death.
As the crowd gathered at the skate park for the memorial, Nichols’ friends formed a tight circle behind a big ramp, away from the cameras and the center of attention. They placed their candles around the base of the ramp, huddling together and finding solace in each other’s presence. The warmth of the flickering candles brings back a flood of memories and nostalgia for the times they spent together at the skate park. It was a place where anyone who showed up became part of their family, a place where they shared their passion for skateboarding and formed lasting bonds.
The subdivision in Natomas, a Sacramento suburb, was where the friendship between Danforth, Alex Wilson, and Nichols began. When their families moved into the area in the early 2000s, most of the neighborhood was still under construction. Natomas, conveniently located at the intersection of Interstates 5 and 80, offered easy access to downtown at an affordable price, attracting first-time homebuyers from various backgrounds. As more houses were built, more young families moved in, including Nichols and his father who arrived a few months after Danforth and Alex Wilson.
The three preteens explored their unfinished neighborhood together, often meeting at Regency Park, which at the time was just fields of dirt surrounding a construction zone. Underneath the tarp that workers placed over the area, a skate park was being built. Danforth, Alex Wilson, and Nichols, all beginners at skateboarding, would take off the tarps after the construction workers left and try out their moves on the ramps and rails. The skate park became a place where they bonded, honed their skills, and shared countless memories.
The loss of Nichols, not just to his friends but to the community, is deeply felt. His death has become another tragic example of the violence inflicted by the police. However, for those who knew him personally, his death is more than a hashtag or a symbol for a cause. It is a heartbreaking and intimate pain that they struggle to come to terms with. As they gather at the skate park to remember him, their candles lit in his honor, they find solace in each other’s company, cherishing the memories they shared and the bond they formed in their beloved skate park.
