Tyre Nichols case in Memphis: From the beginning to when trials are expected to start
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was beaten for nearly three minutes by now-former Memphis police officers on Jan. 7. The incident left Nichols in the hospital in critical condition, he never made it home from the hospital.
After three days in critical care, Nichols died from his injuries. Now Nichols's family awaits the trials of the five former officers, all of whom are also Black, who were charged with various state felonies, including second-degree murder, and then they were indicted in federal court in September.
Here's everything that has happened since Jan. 7.
Tyre Nichols pulled over, beaten by Memphis police
On Jan. 7, Memphis police pulled Nichols over for a traffic stop near Raines and Ross roads at about 8:30 p.m. At the time, police said a confrontation ensued as they approached the vehicle driven by Nichols, who they said ran from the scene.
In the same initial statement, officers said that Nichols ran and they chased him on foot before Nichols was detained and then "complained of a shortness of breath."
In video footage later released, police can be heard yelling at Nichols to get out of his car and they can be seen forcibly removing him from the car. Police pepper sprayed him after the initial stop, according to video and records.
Body cam footage from Tyre Nichols case
When the four videos from Nichols's stop were released by Memphis police, it was described by law enforcement and attorneys for Nichols' family as "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable."
Memphis police officers punched, kicked and pepper-sprayed Nichols in a brutal and, ultimately, fatal beating, video footage shows, all less than 100 yards from his family home. Officers also hit him with a baton.
The videos show officers kicking Nichols at least twice in the face, striking him at least three or four times with a baton in the upper body area, punching him at least four times to the face, punching him at least two more times to the upper body area and kicking him at least twice in the abdomen.
DA drops cases: Shelby County DA drops '30 to 40' cases worked by officers charged in Tyre Nichols beating
Seperate trials request: 2 former Memphis police officers in Tyre Nichols case ask to be tried separately
Protests sparked by Tyre Nichols beating
Multiple protests happened in Memphis after Nichols' death.
Less than a month after his death, a peaceful "Justice for Tyre" protest, organized by Black Lives Matter and Decarcerate Memphis, started near the Shelby County Court House and the group marched along Adams Ave. before ending up at Poplar and Danny Thomas. The protesters chanted "Say his name. Tyre" and "Justice for Tyre Nichols."
It wasn't the last one. Protests revolved around police reform and cries for justice in the case.
Take a look at the stories and everything that happened in the first few months here.
Tyre Nichols autopsy: What was revealed
Nichols, who died after being brutally beaten by Memphis Police officers, was killed by blunt force trauma, attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci said after they and the family viewed the autopsy report.
"The legal team representing the family of Tyre Nichols acknowledges the release of the medical examiner's report, the contents of which are highly consistent with our own reporting back in January of this year," Crump and Romanucci said in an email statement.
The report was done by Dr. Laura Bagwell and Dr. Marco Ross at the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center.
The blunt force injuries to Nichols' head left him with hemorrhaging in his brain, caused from the brain smashing into the inside of his skull.
In addition, he had multiple bruises and cuts throughout his body.
Sixth officer fired: Memphis Police Department fires sixth officer in death of Tyre Nichols
Former Memphis police officer Preston Hemphill won't face charges
The one white former officer fired from the Memphis Police Department for his role in pulling Nichols over on the evening of Jan. 7 won't face charges, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said May 2.
Hemphill was part of the group of officers involved in the initial confrontation that occurred after officers pulled Nichols over and yanked him from his car.
"By no means do we endorse the conduct of Officer Hemphill," Mulroy said. "Note that the Memphis Police Department did, in fact, take administrative action against Mr. Hemphill...But we do not believe that criminal charges are appropriate. Mr. Hemphill was not present for the initial traffic stop, nor was he present when the other officers removed Mr. Nichols forcibly from his car and put him on the ground...He had to make his decisions based on what he knew, or what he thought was happening, and was following the lead of other officers."
Take a look at the full story here.
Who are the former Memphis police officers charged in the Tyre Nichols case?
Five Memphis police officers were fired after the completion of an internal investigation. All five of the officers were Black men.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, Jr. were all 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, court records show.
Previous reprimands: 4 officers indicted in Tyre Nichols death had previous reprimands, suspensions by MPD
Desdomn Mills Jr. pleads guilty in Tyre Nichols case
The 33-year-old former police officer was federally charged with excessive force, deliberate indifference, conspiracy to witness tamper and obstruction of justice in early September. On the state level, Mills and four others were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, official oppression, two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of official misconduct in late January.
Mills pleaded guilty to excessive force and conspiracy to witness tamper in federal court Nov 2. In state court, he pleaded guilty to the slew of charges related to Nichols' death.
"My use of force was excessive and I gave misleading statements," Mills told Judge Mark Norris when asked by the judge to give his account of what happened.
Mills isn't expected to be sentenced until May 2024.
Read the full story here.
When do the defendants in Tyre Nichols' death case go to trial?
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith and Emmitt Martin III are slated to head to state criminal trial in mid-August 2024, according to Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr.
In addition to the trial date, Jones set three other dates to make sure the case stays on track. Discovery is slated to be completed by Dec. 4, all written motions are due by Feb. 2, 2024, and hearings on those motions will be held before June 14, 2024.
The federal civil rights, conspiracy and obstruction offenses, and a trial is scheduled for May 2024.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tyre Nichols' death in Memphis: What to know from beginning to trial
