Five Former Officers Charged In Connection With Tyre Nichols Murder

Five former Memphis police officers have been arrested and charged in connection with the brutal beating death of Tyre Nichols.

The officers involved, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, Jr., have all been booked into Shelby County Jail. They are being charged with one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault-acting in concert, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression.

According to reports, around 8:30 p.m., on January 7 Nichols was pulled over for a minor traffic violation. When officers approached 29 year old Nichols vehicle an argument ensued and he fled on foot.

Nichols was eventually detained and began complaining about shortness of breath. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition.

On January 10 Nichols died from his injuries.

Hospital staff took pictures of Nichols when he was initially brought in and his face appeared to be bloody and bruised.

Bodycam footage was later released to the family showing officers viciously beating and tasing Nichols.

A preliminary report from civil rights attorney Ben Crump’s independent forensic pathologist said Nichols suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”

Romanucci said Nichols was “kicked” and was the subject of “multiple uses of force” during the “unadulterated…beating of [Nichols] for three minutes.”

Both Crump and Romanucci have been retained by the family.