Current:Home > Markets5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols' death-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
5 former Memphis officers indicted by federal grand jury in Tyre Nichols' death
View Date:2024-12-23 19:22:44
Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. were indicted on charges relating to the deprivation of rights under color of law, including excessive force and failure to intervene as well as deliberate indifference, and conspiracy to witness-tamper, according to court records.
Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, three days after a violent confrontation with police following a traffic stop.
All five former officers also face state felony charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping, in connection with Nichols' death. They pleaded not guilty.
"Tyre Nichols should be alive today," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. "It is tragic to see a life cut short at 29, with so many milestones unmet, so many words unsaid, so much potential unfulfilled. These federal charges reflect the Justice Department's unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional and civil rights of every American and preserving the integrity of the criminal justice system. We stand ready to hold law enforcement officers accountable for their misconduct because no one is above the law in our country."
Mike Stengel, the attorney for Haley in his state case, confirmed he will also be representing him on the federal charges.
"The indictment is disappointing, but not surprising," Stengel told ABC News. "He'll plead not guilty and defend himself in court."
William Massey, who represents Martin, said, "We have been expecting it and are ready to move forward." Bean's attorney, John Perry, said he had no comment.
The indictment outlines in detail what prosecutors allege were efforts by the five officers to brutally assault Nichols, purposely ignore his need for immediate medical care and later seek to cover up their actions.
Each of the defendants, according to the indictment, were involved in beating Nichols during the Jan. 7 traffic stop and none relayed information about their assault to the Memphis police dispatcher, their supervisor or the EMTs and paramedics who were coming to the scene.
MORE: Tyre Nichols: Timeline of investigation into his death
The officers allegedly spoke at the scene about how they had struck Nichols, "including hitting Nichols with straight haymakers and taking turns hitting him with so many pieces," but they also did not relay that information to first responders or their supervisors even as his condition "deteriorated and he became unresponsive," the indictment alleges.
The indictment also alleges the officers used their body-worn cameras to limit the capture of evidence, with Martin moving his body cam to a location where their assault of Nichols wouldn't be captured and Haley and Smith only activating their cameras after the group attacked Nichols.
After EMTs arrived, Haley and Mills removed their body-worn cameras and the group allegedly discussed their assault of Nichols making statements like, "Everybody rocking his a**, Pop pop, please fall; and I thought when he wasn't going to fall, we about to kill this man."
Afterward. at the police station, the group met and lied to an MPD detective about the arrest for the Incident Report, the indictment alleges, claiming Nichols had actively resisted arrest "by pulling gun belts" and grabbing one officer by his vest. Mills and Smith also falsely told the detective that "Nichols was so strong that he lifted two officers into the air."
The group further omitted information about how they had punched and kicked Nichols and the eventual incident report falsely stated that, "After several verbal command[s], Detectives were able to get the suspect Tyre Nichols in custody."
ABC News' Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Mike Williams Instagram post: Steelers' WR shades Aaron Rodgers 'red line' comments
- Hoda Kotb Announces She's Leaving Today After More Than 16 Years
- 'Tremendous smell': Dispatch logs detail chaotic scene at Ohio railcar chemical leak
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams vows to fight charges in criminal indictment
- Why Cynthia Erivo Needed Prosthetic Ears for Wicked
- No forgiveness: Family of Oklahoma man gunned down rejects death row inmate's pleas
- Republican Wisconsin congressman falsely suggests city clerk was lying about absentee ballots
- Cardi B Calls Out Estranged Husband Offset as He Accuses Her of Cheating While Pregnant
- Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
- Kate Winslet Reveals Her Son's Reaction After Finally Seeing Titanic
Ranking
- Minnesota man is free after 16 years in prison for murder that prosecutors say he didn’t commit
- The Masked Singer's First Season 12 Celebrity Reveal Is a Total Touchdown
- Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh says Justin Herbert's ankle is 'progressing'
- Florida power outage map: Track outages as Hurricane Helene approaches from Gulf of Mexico
- Nicole Kidman Reveals the Surprising Reason for Starring in NSFW Movie Babygirl
- Eric Roberts slams Julia Roberts in 'Steel Magnolias,' says he's not 'jealous': Reports
- Home cookin': Diners skipping restaurants and making more meals at home as inflation trend inverts
- Wisconsin district attorney pursuing investigation into mayor’s removal of absentee ballot drop box
Recommendation
-
Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
-
Top aide for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is resigning, adding to staff separations
-
Companies back away from Oregon floating offshore wind project as opposition grows
-
Why Julianne Hough Sees Herself With a Man After Saying She Was Not Straight
-
Week 10 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
-
How Halle Berry Ended Up Explaining Menopause to Mike Tyson
-
Halsey Hospitalized After Very Scary Seizure
-
Suspect arrested after Tucson junior college student killed on the University of Arizona campus