5 Former Memphis Officers Plead Not Guilty In Tyre Nichols’ Death

Memphis, Tennessee. – Five former Memphis cops pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree murder and other charges in the forcible arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith went to trial with their lawyers for the first time before a Shelby County Criminal Court Judge. The officers were fired following an internal police investigation into the January 7 arrest of Nichols, who died in hospital three days later.

The officers pleaded not guilty to the charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and official harassment. They are all connected. The next court hearing is scheduled for May 1.

CONNECTED: Records show MPs reacting to Tire Nichols stoppage didn’t turn on body cameras

Addressing the courtroom, Judge James Jones Jr asked everyone to “continue patience” and “continue courtesy,” stressing that “this case may take some time.”

“We understand that there may be some strong emotions in this case, but we ask that you continue to be patient with us,” Jones said. “All involved want this case to be completed as quickly as possible. But it’s important that you all understand that the State of Tennessee, as well as each of these defendants, has an absolute right to a fair trial.”

Nichols’ mother, Rowan Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, appeared in court along with their attorney, civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

The police killing of Nichols was the latest event to spark nationwide protests and rekindled an intense public debate about police brutality. Nichols, 29, was black. All five officers charged with his death are also black.

Nichols was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation and pulled out of his car by officers who used profanity, at least one of them brandishing a gun, records showed. The officer tasered Nichols, but Nichols ran to his nearest home, according to a video released by the city.

Officers who were part of the crime-fighting group known as the Scorpion caught up with Nichols and beat him with fists, kicks and clubs as he called for his mother.

The video showed that after the beating, the policemen stood nearby and talked to each other while Nichols struggled with his injuries on the ground. One officer photographed Nichols as he was leaning against an unmarked police car, video and footage showed.

Authorities said Nichols was taken to the hospital in an ambulance that left the scene of the beating 27 minutes after paramedics arrived.

Police said Nichols was suspected of reckless driving, but no confirmed evidence of a traffic violation has surfaced in publicly available documents or video images. Memphis Police Director Serelyn “CJ” Davis said she saw no evidence to justify the stop or officers’ reaction. She disbanded the Scorpion division she created in November 2021 after Nichols’ death.

CONNECTED: Tyre Nichols papers: the officer never explained the stop to him

Another white officer involved in the initial traffic stop was fired. Another unidentified staff member was removed from his post.

Three Memphis firefighters present at the scene of the arrest were fired. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who were also there were suspended without pay.

The Nichols family, their lawyers, community leaders and activists have called for changes to the Memphis Police Department on issues related to traffic stop, use of force, transparency and other policies.

Some relatives and lawyers praised Davis and the department for their prompt response and said it should become the standard for other police brutality investigations.