5 Memphis cops charged with murder in Tire Nichols case as video release draws near

Five former Memphis cops have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in the arrest and death of Tyre Nichols, a black motorist who died three days after colliding with police during a traffic stop, reports showed Thursday.

Online records from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office show that Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith were in custody. All five face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, misconduct and official harassment.

Defense attorney William Massey confirmed to The Associated Press that his client, Emmitt Martin III, was charged and turned himself in.

It was not immediately clear whether Smith had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf about the allegations. Blake Ballin, Mills’ attorney, said he plans to hold a press conference later Thursday.

U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Ritz said his office is working with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to investigate the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man who died after being violently arrested by Memphis police.

Second-degree murder is a Class A felony, punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison under Tennessee law.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he would provide an update on the state’s investigation Thursday afternoon.

The video of the detention has not been made public, but officials have promised to release it this or next week.

The Memphis police chief called the actions of the five officers involved in the violent arrest of Nichols “disgusting, reckless and inhumane” and urged city residents to protest peacefully when the video of the arrest is made public.

“This is not just a professional failure. It’s a lack of basic humanity towards another person,” Memphis Police Director Serelyn “CJ” Davis said in a video message posted late Wednesday on social media.

Five black officers who were found “directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols,” who was also black, were fired last week, but Davis said other officers are still under investigation for violating department policy. In addition, she said: “There will be a full and independent review” of specialized departments of the agency without providing further details.

As state and federal investigations continue, she pledged “full and full cooperation” from the Memphis Police Department to determine what contributed to Nichols’ death three days after his January 7 arrest.

Video footage of the arrest was shown to Nichols’ family but not released to the public, although local authorities have promised to release it this or next week.

U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Ritz said his office is working with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to investigate the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man who died after being violently arrested by Memphis police.

Mulroy said Tuesday that local and state investigators want to conduct as many interviews as possible before releasing the video. The timeline irritated some activists who expected the video to be released after Nichols’ family viewed the footage on Monday.

Ben Crump, a lawyer representing the Nichols family, said police video viewed by the family showed that Nichols – a 29-year-old FedEx worker and father – was shocked, pepper sprayed and tied up when he was pulled over at a bus stop outside his home. . He was returning home from a suburban park where he photographed the sunset. The legal team said officers beat Nichols for three minutes in a “violent” melee reminiscent of the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.

Relatives blamed the police for Nichols’ heart attack and kidney failure. Authorities only said that Nichols required emergency medical treatment.

When the video of the arrest is made public, Davis said she expects a community response.

“I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest and demand action and results, but we must keep our community safe in the process,” she said. “None of this is a calling card to incite violence or destruction. against our community or against our citizens.”

Davis said the actions of the fired officers are not a reflection of the good work many Memphis Police Department officers do every day, and she vowed to take action to improve the agency’s performance.

“I intend, as a proactive measure, to ensure that a full and independent review of all specialized units of the Memphis Police Department is carried out, as well as the commitment of my executive management to ensure that policies and procedures are followed in our daily contacts. with the citizens we swore to serve,” she said.