Three Ex-Police Officers Stand Trial in Tyre Nichols Murder Case

Updated September 9, 2024

• The federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the murder of Tyre Nichols begins today. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was stopped for a traffic violation while driving home from work in early 2023. He was pulled from his car and brutally attacked by the officers, dying from his injuries three days later. 
• The ex-officers, Tadarrius Bea, Justin Smith Jr, and Demetrius Haley, stand trial for federal civil rights and conspiracy charges in connection to Nicholas' death. Two former officers were also charged but have since pleaded guilty. 
• Emmitt Martin III pleaded guilty to federal witness tampering and excessive force charges just last month, and Desmond Mills Jr pleaded guilty to excessive force and obstruction charges. All five police officers who face charges for the killing are Black men. Preston Hemphill, a white police officer who used his taser during Nichols' traffic stop, does not face criminal charges. 

Updated May 4, 2023

• Tyre Nichols' recently released autopsy results show that he died of blunt force injuries to the head after being beaten by Memphis Police Department officers on Jan. 7, 2023. The autopsy lists the manner of death as a homicide. It also describes multiple contusions, brain injuries, cuts, and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.
• After shooting Nichols with a stun gun, the officers punched, kicked, and bashed him with a baton as he yelled for his mother. Nichols’ mother has filed a $550 million federal lawsuit against the city, the police department, and police chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis. 

Updated February 8, 2023

• New documents show that the police officers guilty of murdering Tyre Nichols texted photos of his beaten body to at least five people.
• The photos showed Nichols bloodied and handcuffed against the side of a police car, the Memphis Police Department stated. 
• One text was sent to a recipient outside of the police force, violating policies about confidentiality. 
• Police officials said that the photos were part of a larger set of mocking, hostile, and abusive behaviors against Nichols leading up to his death.

Updated January 30, 2023

• The Memphis police department announced its permanently disbanding the SCORPION Unit, which included the five officers responsible for Nichols' death. 
• The department launched the unit in 2021 to prevent crime rates from rising in the city. On Saturday, Memphis police posted a statement on Twitter saying it was in the best interest of all if the unit was permanently deactivated. 

"The officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step. While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted." 

UPDATE - Friday, January 27, 2023 - 7:04 PM ET

• The bodycam footage of Tyre Nichols' arrest and murder is available here. Warning: It shows graphic violence that could be disturbing.

UPDATE - Friday, January 27, 2023 - 6:40 PM ET

• Memphis authorities are planning to release body camera footage from the arrest - and murder - of Tyre Nichols by five former police officers.
• Cities across the U.S. are bracing for protests and rallies for police reform. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was beaten to death after a traffic stop on Jan. 7. The five former officers - who are also Black - face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.

   

• Ahead of the footage's release, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis warned:

"You're going to see a disregard for human life."

• The video will be uploaded to YouTube in four separate clips sometime after 6 p.m. CT Friday. Surveillance video from the neighborhood will accompany the body camera footage.

This is an ongoing story and will be updated.

What’s the story?

• Five former police officers in Memphis, TN, have been charged with murder for the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old who was beaten during a traffic stop and died a few days after. 
• On top of second-degree murder, the officers face charges of aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. 

What happened to Nichols?

• Nichols died on Jan. 10, a few days after police stopped him for reckless driving on Jan. 7. Police reported that Nichols had two “confrontations” with officers after he fled the traffic stop and was then taken into custody. 
• According to the authorities, he was taken to the hospital in critical condition after complaining of shortness of breath.
• Nichols' family members said he was unrecognizable after the beating during the traffic stop. The family’s attorneys said the officers tased, pepper-sprayed, and restrained Nichols during the “savage” attack, and said he was left “defenseless.” Ben Crump, one of the attorneys, said: 

“Yet again, we’re seeing evidence of what happens to Black and brown people from simple traffic stops. You should not be killed because of a simple traffic stop.”

• Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, said her son didn't carry guns or do drugs and was a "beautiful soul." A photo circulating the news and social media shows Nicholas lying in a hospital bed, badly bruised, after his arrest. Wells, and the rest of the family, are left to question why police felt the need to arrest Nichols so violently. 

The authorities’ response

• The five officers involved in Nichols' death were terminated from the Memphis Police Department on Jan. 20. 
• Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis released a statement to address “the horrific circumstances” of Nichols’ arrest and death. She called the incident “heinous, reckless and inhumane” and said the officers violated multiple policies, “including excessive use of force, duty to intervene, and duty to render aid.” She continued: 

“The Memphis Police Department is committed to protecting and defending the rights of every citizen in our city. The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work that our officers perform, with integrity, every day."

• The Department of Justice, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI have launched civil rights investigations into Nichols’ death.

Donate to the family's funeral and memorial services through the GoFundMe page created by Nichols' friend Angelina Paxton.