Nichols succumbed to injuries he sustained from his encounter with police and died while hospitalized on Jan. 10, three days after he was pulled over while driving.
"To see what is reported that five African American officers are involved in this just really hurt me personally because it was always my belief that diversifying our departments with different ethnic groups would allow us to have the level of policing that we all deserve," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said during a news conference dedicated to safety on about the city subway system.
The death marked the latest in a spate of high-profile cases of police officers accused of using excessive force in the deaths of Black people and other minorities in recent years, sparking public outcries against systematic racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
"It's a personal and professional, painful moment for me as a victim of police abuse as a child," Adams said. "I know the impact of it."
