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Killing of Tyre Nichols

Coordinates: 35°01′48.6″N 89°50′20.6″W / 35.030167°N 89.839056°W / 35.030167; -89.839056
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Killing of Tyre Nichols
DateJanuary 7, 2023 (traffic stop)
January 10, 2023 (death)
LocationMemphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Coordinates35°01′48.6″N 89°50′20.6″W / 35.030167°N 89.839056°W / 35.030167; -89.839056
DeathsTyre Nichols
Accused
  • Tadarrius Bean
  • Demetrius Haley
  • Emmitt Martin III
  • Desmond Mills Jr.
  • Justin Smith
Charges

On January 10, 2023, Tyre Nichols[a] died, three days after a traffic stop by Memphis Police Department officers on January 7.[2][3] The Memphis Police Department initially stated on January 8 that the traffic stop of Nichols was due to reckless driving, but later on January 27 the Memphis police chief stated that footage showed no evidence of probable cause for the traffic stop.[4][5] Following the traffic stop, an initial altercation ensued during which officers deployed pepper spray and a taser. Nichols fled on foot, and within a short distance a second altercation occurred when Memphis Police Officers caught up with him, then punched and kicked Nichols' face, and hit his back with a baton. Media outlets reported that the footage did not show Nichols resisting or appearing to provoke officers during the beating.[6][7] He was hospitalized in a critical condition and ultimately died.[8]

The five officers – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith – all African American, were fired from the police department. An autopsy commissioned by his family found "extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating".[9] On January 26, the five officers involved were arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping, assault, and misconduct. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice have both opened investigations.[10] Furthermore, two Memphis firefighters who were involved in the initial patient care of Nichols were relieved of duty, pending an internal investigation.

Parties involved

Tyre Nichols

Tyre Deandre Nichols[11] was a 29-year-old African-American man. He was the father of a son who was 4 years old when Nichols died. At the time of his death, he worked for FedEx[12][13] and was an aspiring photographer.[14][15] Nichols was raised in Sacramento, California, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 2020.[16] According to attorney Benjamin Crump, Nichols was underweight due to Crohn's disease, weighing about 145 pounds (66 kg) at a height of 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm).[17]

Police officers

The officers involved had three to six years of experience. All were members of the 50-person hot spot policing unit known as SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods), a group of undercover officers who were assembled in October 2021, as a response team to deal with serious crimes.[18][19] The officers drive unmarked cars and dress in plainclothes, wearing bulletproof vests marked "POLICE".[20] The Memphis chief of police has since called for a review of the SCORPION unit.[19][21]

  • Tadarrius Bean, the youngest of the five, was hired by Memphis Police in August 2020.[22]
  • Demetrius Haley, a former corrections officer, was hired by Memphis Police in 2020.[23]
  • Emmitt Martin III was hired by Memphis Police in March 2018.[24]
  • Desmond Mills Jr, a former jailer in Mississippi and Tennessee and the oldest of the five, was hired by Memphis Police in March 2017.[25]
  • Justin Smith was hired by Memphis Police in March 2018.[26]

Traffic stop and death

External videos
Footage published by the City of Memphis
video icon Video 1 - police body camera footage, first encounter
video icon Video 2 - pole-mounted camera footage, second encounter
video icon Video 3 - police body camera footage, second encounter
video icon Video 4 - police body camera footage, second encounter

Tyre Nichols was stopped at about 8:24 p.m. on January 7, 2023, near the intersection of East Raines Road and Ross Road. The Memphis Police Department initially stated on January 8 that the traffic stop of Nichols was due to reckless driving.[4][5] On January 27, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis stated that her department reviewed footage, including from body cameras, to "determine what that probable cause was and we have not been able to substantiate that [...] It doesn't mean that something didn't happen, but there’s no proof."[4][5]

At the traffic stop, officers pushed Nichols to the ground.[27] At about 8:25 p.m., a struggle began between the officers and Nichols; they attempted to pin Nichols to the ground, threatened him, yelled expletives, and used pepper spray and a taser on him.[27][6] Ultimately, Nichols broke free and ran south on Ross Road, where he was pursued by at least two officers. Two more police units arrived at the scene of the traffic stop around 8:29 p.m.[27] Footage showed that one officer who remained at the area of the traffic stop said regarding his colleagues and Nichols: "I hope they stomp his ass".[28]

The second encounter Nichols had with police occurred less than half a mile (800 m) away from the traffic stop at 8:33 p.m. where he was beaten for about three minutes.[27] Footage from a pole-mounted police surveillance camera showed officers striking Nichols at least nine times "without visible provocation", stated CNN.[6] When the pole camera was turned to show the incident, it showed an officer using his leg to push Nichols hard to the ground.[6] The officers pulled Nichols up by his shoulders and kicked Nichols in the face twice.[6] The officers pulled Nichols up into a sitting position, then an officer hit Nichols' back with with a baton, then hit Nichols again after the officers pulled him to a kneeling position.[6][29] After that, officers pulled Nichols to a standing position and restrained his hands; during this time, Nichols was repeatedly punched in the face by officers, and eventually he fell to a kneeling position.[6] Within the next minute, Nichols was apparently kicked by an officer.[6] The footage shows at least five punches to Nichols' face.[29] During the beating, Nichols repeatedly called for his mother, at times moved his hands to cover his face, and "[did] not appear to ever strike back", reported The New York Times.[28] BBC News described that footage of the incident showed officers beating Nichols "with no signs of him resisting".[7]

By 8:37 p.m., Nichols was handcuffed and immobile with critical injuries. He was limp and officers propped him against the side of a police car.[30] Footage showed that after Nichols was detained on the ground, one officer said: "I was hitting him with straight haymakers, dog", while another said: "I jumped in, started rocking him."[31] Medics arrived around 8:41 p.m. but did not begin to assist Nichols until 16 minutes later.[27] The ambulance arrived at 9:02 p.m. and transported Nichols to St. Francis Hospital at 9:18 p.m. after he complained of shortness of breath.[27] He died of his injuries on January 10 and an autopsy report showed that he "suffered excessive bleeding caused by a severe beating."[32]

In the released videos from after the beating, two officers claim Nichols reached for their weapons. This claim is not substantiated by the videos.[33]

Investigations and criminal charges

On January 7, District Attorney Steve Mulroy asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate allegations of excessive use of force during the arrest. On January 15, the Memphis Police Department announced the officers involved would face administrative action.[34] The US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also opened an investigation.[35]

On January 20, Memphis Police announced that the five officers involved – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith – would be fired.[36][37][38] All five officers are African American.[39]

Police chief Cerelyn Davis said the officers' behavior constituted "a failing of basic humanity",[40] that she was "confused" by the officers' aggression, and that it was unclear why the officers stopped Nichols.[41] She said the video footage showed "acts that defy humanity ... a disregard for life, [the] duty of care that we're all sworn to and a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement",[42] and that what happened to Nichols was "about the same, if not worse" than the Rodney King incident.[42]

By January 24, two Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technicians who were in the ambulance had been relieved of duty without further explanation.[43]

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said video footage of the incident would be released later in January,[44] first to Nichols's family and then to the public once the police department's internal investigation is finished.[45][46] Nichols's family attorneys who saw the footage said it reminded them of the beating of Rodney King, and that the officers had used Nichols as a "human piñata".[47]

On January 24, the five officers were arrested and charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.[48][49] As of January 27, all five men have posted bail and been released, according to Shelby County Jail records.[50]

Public reaction and protests

See also: Tyre Nichols protests and 2023 Memphis protests

On January 27, the police body-worn camera video footage of the incident was released to the public.[51] The Associated Press reported that according to Memphis Police Chief Davis, officials intentionally "decided it would be best to release the video later in the day, after schools are dismissed and people are home from work" due to concern over the civil unrest that might result after its release.[52] The day prior, United States President Joe Biden spoke with the Nichols family, and joined in their call for peaceful protest.[53][54][55] Biden also told the family that he would renew a push with Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to tackle police misconduct.[52]

On the day of the video's release, FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was appalled by the video, and Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, issued a statement that "The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong. This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law."[52] New York City Mayor Eric Adams told the press that the White House had briefed him and other mayors on the video ahead of its release, and that it would "trigger pain and sadness in many of us. It will make us angry."[52]

Nichols' attorney said that police beat Nichols "savagely", and the Los Angeles Times described footage of his beating as "horrific", comparing it to the beating of Rodney King.[56]

Following the release of the video, protesters in Memphis blocked traffic on Interstate 55.[57]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Pronounced /ˈtaɪ.ri ˈnɪk.əlz/ TY-ree.[1]

References

  1. ^ Strickland, Jim [@CityOfMemphis] (January 26, 2023). "City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland statement regarding Tyre Nichols Thursday, January 26, 2023" (Tweet). Retrieved January 27, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Tyre Nichols: Mum calls for peace ahead of police bodycam footage release". ITV News. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Becky (January 27, 2023). "Memphis braces for the release of Tyre Nichols arrest footage". NPR. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Knutson, Jacob (January 27, 2023). "City of Memphis releases footage of police fatally beating Tyre Nichols". Axios. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Marcus, Josh (January 28, 2023). "Why was Tyre Nichols stopped by Memphis police?". The Independent. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Hanna, Jason; Hartfield, Elizabeth. "Video shows Tyre Nichols calling for his mother, beaten by officers now charged in his death". CNN. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Bailey, Chelsea; Sheerin, Jude (January 28, 2023). "Tyre Nichols not seen to resist police in video footage". BBC News. Retrieved January 28, 2023. Officers are seen beating Tyre Nichols, 29, in the videos from the 7 January arrest, with no signs of him resisting.
  8. ^ "Five ex-Memphis police officers were charged with murder in death of Tyre Nichols". Reuters. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  9. ^ "'Extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating': Tyre Nichols preliminary autopsy results". CNN. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  10. ^ "Statement from United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz". Department of Justice. January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  11. ^ Santucci, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Lucas Finton, Katherine Burgess, Micaela A. Watts and Jeanine. "Video shows Memphis police violently beating Tyre Nichols in the traffic stop that led to his death". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 28, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Slow, Oliver (January 27, 2023). "Tyre Nichols: Family remembers 'a beautiful soul'". BBC News. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  13. ^ Rojas, Rick (January 26, 2023). "Who was Tyre Nichols?". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  14. ^ "About". tnicholsphotography.
  15. ^ "'He had a beautiful soul': Tyre Nichols's parents reflect on the son who was taken from them". the Guardian. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  16. ^ McGough, Michael (January 27, 2023). "Family of Tyre Nichols urge calm as police prepare to release video of fatal beating". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Fausset, Richard (January 27, 2023). "From Sacramento to Memphis, Tyre Nichols Cut His Own Path". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Matza, Max (January 26, 2023). "Tyre Nichols: What is the 'Scorpion' unit of Memphis police?". BBC. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Graham, David A. (January 27, 2023). "Memphis's Policing Strategy Was Bound to Result in Tragedy". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  20. ^ "Legal analyst on significance of officers getting same charges in Nichols case" on YouTube
  21. ^ Schuppe, Jon; Schapiro, Rich; Ali, Safia Samee (January 26, 2023). "Memphis police's vaunted Scorpion unit under scrutiny after Tyre Nichols' death". NBC News. Retrieved January 28, 2023. This week, Davis announced a review of all of the police department's specialized units, including Scorpion, in response to Nichols' death.
  22. ^ "Who is Tadarrius Bean? Memphis cop arrested for beating Tyre Nichols to death studied criminal justice".
  23. ^ "Who is Demetrius Haley? Memphis cop accused in Tyre Nichols' murder beat up an inmate 8 years ago". January 27, 2023.
  24. ^ "Who is Emmitt Martin III? Ex-Memphis cop arrested for Tyre Nichols' death released on $250,000 bond". January 27, 2023.
  25. ^ "Who is Desmond Mills Jr? Ex Memphis cop arrested for Tyre Nichols' death released on a $250,000 bond". January 27, 2023.
  26. ^ "Who is Justin Smith? Ex-Memphis police officer charged with murder over Tyre Nichols' death".
  27. ^ a b c d e f Cardia, Alexander; Kao, Jason; Koettl, Christoph; Lutz, Eleanor; Singhvi, Anjali; Stein, Robin (January 28, 2023). "A Timeline of Tyre Nichols's Lethal Police Encounter". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  28. ^ a b Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (January 27, 2023). "Videos show Memphis police kicking and beating Tyre Nichols as he begs them to stop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Video shows brutal Memphis police beating of Tyre Nichols". Washington Post. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  30. ^ "Tyre Nichols Punched, Kicked in Face, Pepper Sprayed in Police Body Cam Footage". TMZ. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  31. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (January 28, 2023). "Tyre Nichols video shows officers boasting as he lies motionless: 'Hitting him with straight haymakers, dog'". The Independent. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  32. ^ "What the Tyre Nichols beating videos show". BBC News. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  33. ^ Bogel-Burroughs, Nicholas (January 27, 2023). "Live Updates: Memphis Video Captures Officers' Brutal Beating of Tyre Nichols". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  34. ^ "Tyre Nichols died after a traffic stop with Memphis Police. A timeline of events". The Commercial Appeal. January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  35. ^ Smart, Sara; Lynch, Jamiel (January 18, 2023). "DOJ and FBI open civil rights investigation into the death of Memphis man who passed away after arrest". CNN. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  36. ^ Almasy, Steve; Razek, Raja (January 20, 2023). "5 Memphis officers fired after death of man who was hospitalized after his arrest". CNN. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  37. ^ Gertler, Jessica; Rucker, Stuart (January 20, 2023). "Five MPD Officers fired after Nichols investigation". WREG-TV. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  38. ^ "5 Memphis police officers fired in death of Tyre Nichols". CBS News. January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  39. ^ Richard, Lawrence (January 27, 2023). "Four of five Memphis police officers charged with killing Tyre Nichols released from jail after posting bail". Fox News. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  40. ^ "Tyre Nichols Live Updates: 5 Officers Charged With Murder in Memphis Police Killing". The New York Times. January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  41. ^ Winsor, Morgan (January 27, 2023). "Memphis police chief 'horrified' at Tyre Nichols video, set to be released today". ABC News. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  42. ^ a b Caldwell, Travis (January 27, 2023). "'You're going to see acts that defy humanity,' police chief says, as officials urge calm when Tyre Nichols arrest videos are released publicly tonight". CNN. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  43. ^ Douglas, Stephanie; Bolden, Bria (January 24, 2023). "Two Memphis Fire employees relieved of duty in connection to Tyre Nichols' death, internal investigation ongoing". NBC 5. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  44. ^ Paul, Ashley (January 19, 2023). "'You are not above the law': Councilman pushes for release of Tyre Nichols arrest video". WREG-TV. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  45. ^ Andone, Dakin; Valencia, Nick (January 23, 2023). "Tyre Nichols' family to watch video Monday of his arrest by Memphis police just days before his death". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  46. ^ Sainz, Adrian (January 23, 2023). "Memphis on edge ahead of violent arrest video's release". AP News. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  47. ^ "Attorneys liken Tyre Nichols' arrest to Rodney King beating". AP NEWS. January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  48. ^ Clifford, Tyler (January 26, 2023). "Former Memphis officers arrested on murder charges in the death of Tyre Nichols". Reuters. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  49. ^ Sainz, Adrian; Reynolds, Rebecca (January 26, 2023). "DA: 5 Memphis cops 'all responsible' for Tyre Nichols' death". AP News. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  50. ^ "Tyre Nichols Live Updates: Memphis to Release 'Appalling' Police Video". The New York Times. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  51. ^ "Memphis authorities release video in Tyre Nichols' death". AP News. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  52. ^ a b c d Sainz, Adrian (January 27, 2023). "Memphis authorities release video in Tyre Nichols' death". AP News. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  53. ^ Samuels, Brett (January 27, 2023). "Biden speaks to parents of Tyre Nichols ahead of expected video release". The Hill. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  54. ^ "Statement from President Joe Biden on the Tyre Nichols Case". January 26, 2023.
  55. ^ Clifford, Tyler (January 27, 2023). "Five ex-Memphis police officers charged with murder in death of Tyre Nichols". Reuters.
  56. ^ "Memphis releases graphic video of Tyre Nichols' brutal beating; family calls for peaceful protest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  57. ^ "Tyre Nichols protestors shut down old I-55 Bridge". WREG-TV. January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
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