Sun, Jan 28, 2024
Sun, Jan 28, 2024
ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS Five former Memphis Police Department 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 a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop, records showed on Thursday.
Shelby County Sheriff's Office online records show that Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith were in custody. All five are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Defence attorney William Massey confirmed to The Associated Press that his client, Emmitt Martin III, had been charged and had turned himself in.
It was not immediately clear if Smith had a lawyer to speak on his behalf about the charges. Blake Ballin, the lawyer for Mills, said he planned to hold a news conference later Thursday.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he would provide an update on the state's investigation on Thursday afternoon.
Video footage of the arrest has not been made public, but officials have pledged to release it this week or next week.
The Memphis police chief has called the actions of five officers involved in the violent arrest of Nichols heinous, reckless and inhumane" and made a plea to residents of the city to protest peacefully when video of the arrest is released to the public.
This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual," Memphis Police Director Cerelyn CJ Davis said in a video statement that was released late Wednesday on social media.
The five Black officers found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Nichols," who also was Black, were fired last week, but Davis said other officers are still being investigated for violating department policy. In addition, she said a complete and independent review will be conducted of the department's specialised units, without providing further details.
As state and federal investigations continue, she promised full and complete 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 has been shown to Nichols' family, but has not been made public, though local officials have pledged to release it this week or next week.
Mulroy told The Associated Press on Tuesday that local and state investigators want to complete as many interviews as possible before releasing the video. The timetable has rankled some activists who expected the video to be released after Nichols' family viewed the footage on Monday.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing Nichols' family, said police video the family viewed showed Nichols a 29-year-old FedEx worker and father was shocked, pepper-sprayed and restrained when he was pulled over for a traffic stop near his home. He was returning home from a suburban park, where he had taken photos of the sunset. The legal team said officers beat Nichols for three minutes in a savage encounter reminiscent of the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.
Relatives have accused the police of causing Nichols to have a heart attack and kidney failure. Authorities have only said Nichols experienced a medical emergency.
When video of the arrest is publicly released, Davis said she expects the community to react.
I expect our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand actions and results, but we need to ensure our community is safe in this process," she said. "None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens."
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