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Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist in Memphis, Tennessee, died three days after a traffic stop on January 7 turned into a fatal physical attack, according to records from the local jail. On Thursday, five former Memphis police officers were charged with murder and other crimes in connection with Nichols’ death. The charges include murder.
According to the internet records of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith were all being held in custody. Every one of the five was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, as well as aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
“Each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, but the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible,” Steve Mulroy, the district attorney for Shelby County, said during a press conference on Thursday. “While each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible.”
The director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, David Rausch, made the following statement: “Let me be clear: What transpired here does not in any way reflect proper policing. “I was wrong to do this,” Rausch stated. “What happened here was illegal.”
Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, said over the phone to the Associated Press that he and his wife, RowVaughn Wells, who is Nichols’ mother, had discussed the allegations of second-degree murder and are “ok with it.” RowVaughn Wells is Nichols’ biological mother. They wanted to charge him with murder in the first degree.
He stated, “There are other charges, so I’m all good with it.” (There are further charges.). According to Mulroy, the assault on Nichols, age 29, lasted for a full three minutes. An attorney who represented his family is quoted as saying that the results of an independent autopsy showed that the deceased “suffered considerable bleeding caused by a brutal beating.”
The counsel for the family, Antonio Romanucci, stated to the press that their client “was a human for those police officers.” “It was not only violent, but it was savage as well.” Officials with the police department initially stated that there was a “confrontation” when officers approached Nichols’ vehicle, and then they stated that there was another “confrontation” when they arrested him.
The five former cops who are all Black and have been suspected of participating in the deadly confrontation were let go from their positions last week. Officials with the Memphis Police Department have stated that the officers violated “several department policies,” including those pertaining to the excessive use of force, the obligation to intervene, and the duty to offer aid.
Tyre Nichols died while he was in the custody of five Memphis police officers. Investigations into alleged breaches of policy are being conducted about other personnel. According to the officials, two firefighters from the Memphis Fire Department who assisted with Nichols’ initial care have been “relieved of duty” awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation.
At the memorial service held for Tyre Nichols on Tuesday, a portrait of him is presented for attendees to see.
The fatal run-in is being looked at by authorities from both the state and the federal government. The officials in Memphis have stated that a video of the incident would be made public.
The tape has been viewed by family members and their attorneys, but the general public has not yet had access to it. During the news conference that took place in the afternoon on Thursday, the officials suggested that the footage would be made public on Friday after 6 o’clock local time.
Nichols “called repeatedly for his mother” throughout the beating, which took place just one hundred yards from his mother’s home, according to family representatives who spoke to the media. This horrifying recording demonstrated this fact.
Romanucci added that officers pepper sprayed Nichols, used a stun gun on him, restrained him after viewing the video, and then spoke to the media. According to officials for the family, Nichols expressed that all he wanted to do was go back home.
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After viewing the video, the civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is working with the family’s legal team, stated that “Tyre was brutalized by Memphis police, much like how Rodney King was beaten more than 30 years ago.” However, in contrast to Rodney, Tyre did not survive the attack, which resulted in his death.
“How did we find ourselves back in this place after all these years? Justice is the only way ahead, and these former cops have an obligation to face the consequences of their actions in taking the life of this young guy and depriving his family of a member of their family.
A day before charges were announced, the city’s police chief, CJ Davis, condemned the tragic confrontation as “heinous, reckless, and brutal.” He said this a day before charges were made. In a video that was uploaded on YouTube, Head of Police Davis is heard saying, “Outside of being your chief of police, I am a citizen of this town we share.” “I am a mother, and I am a kind and compassionate human being who desires the best for all of us.
“This is not only a failure on a professional level. This violates the most fundamental standards of humanity toward another person… Moreover, in the spirit of openness, when the footage is finally made public in the next few days, you will be able to judge this for yourselves.
The information that Nichols’ family supplied about his condition revealed that there was a significant gap between his level of physical strength and that of the officers who arrested him. According to the Washington Post, Nichols suffered from Crohn’s disease and struggled to keep his weight stable throughout his life.
Nichols weighed close to 145 pounds in total. Allegedly participating law enforcement personnel all weighed more than 200 pounds each. The Post mentioned that two of the policemen had played college football at some point.
RowVaughn described her son to the Post as having a “kind nature.” Nichols, a father of a child aged four, was employed by the global logistics powerhouse FedEx. He would go back to his mother’s house every night during the meal break that occurred in the evening. According to an article in the New York Times, some of his hobbies included skating and capturing photographs of sunsets. On the inside of his arm was a tattoo of his mother’s maiden name.
RowVaughn was quoted as saying to the New York Times, “That made me proud.” “The majority of children do not include their mother’s name. My son had a kind and gentle spirit.” Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney, stated that “He was a terrific, great child, he didn’t deserve what he got, and now what he deserves is justice.” Nichols’ stepfather was speaking about Nichols.
Residents of Memphis are still on edge as they wait for the video to be released. According to the Times, Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen, who represents the city, described the killing as “terrible” while calling for calm in the aftermath of the incident.
Cohen stated that even while individuals “may want to exercise their first amendment rights to criticize activities of the police department” and “they should,” the protests should be conducted in a peaceful and controlled manner.
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