Tyre Nichols Body Cam Footage To Be Released & 5 Officers Are Charged And Jailed For Murder
Each officer has seven charges.
Tyre Nichols. Right: A Shelby County Sheriff's van.
Five Memphis police officers were fired, charged and jailed in the course of one week in connection to Tyre Nichols' death. The 29-year-old was reportedly stopped for a traffic violation and was allegedly beaten by these cops on January 7.
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Nichols died in the hospital three days later. The body camera footage has only been shown to authorities and the young man's family but hasn’t been released to the public due to the severity of the investigation.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) released a statement on January 26 that evidence gathered from the investigation was enough to jail all five men on the following seven charges:
- Second Degree Murder
- Aggravated Assault
- Aggravated Kidnapping with Bodily Injury
- Aggravated Kidnapping in Possession of a Deadly Weapon
- Official Misconduct
- Official Misconduct – Refrain
- Official Oppression.
\u201cNEWS ALERT: Five men, now former officers from the Memphis Police Department, face felony charges following an independent use-of-force investigation by special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.\n\nDETAILS: https://t.co/1ZRAv6uNkx\u201d— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) 1674763334
According to Reuters, the footage will be released Friday, and cops are bracing for protests.
The family's attorney, Ben Crump, called the footage "heinous," "deplorable" and "violent" during a press conference.
His office released a statement reacting to the news of the former officers being apprehended, saying that it gives them hope as they continue work to get justice for Nichols.
"This tragedy meets the absolute definition of a needless and unnecessary death. Tyre’s loved ones’ lives were forever changed when he was beaten to death, and we will keep saying his name until justice is served."
What is the Tyre Nichols case about?
On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols was stopped for a traffic violation.
According to TBI, "evidence shows Nichols ran from officers during a physical altercation." The agency also notes that there was a second encounter that also included a physical encounter, after which Nichols was hospitalized.
Three days later, Nichols was pronounced deceased at the medical facility.
How was Tyre Nichols killed?
An independent autopsy was issued by Attorney Crump's office, where it was found that "Tyre suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating."
The injuries observed, his office noted, were consistent with what they saw in the video.
When was Tyre Nichols killed?
He was allegedly beaten on January 7 and died in the hospital on January 10.
Who are the officers that beat Tyre Nichols?
TBI confirms that agents gathered evidence identifying these officers as the men that were involved:
- Tadarrius Bean
- Demetrius Haley
- Emmitt Martin III
- Desmond Mills Jr.
- Justin Smith
TBI noted that this is still an ongoing investigation.