Five former Memphis police officers were scheduled to make their first court appearance Friday on murder and other charges in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith and their lawyers were expected to appear before a judge in Shelby County Criminal Court. The officers were fired after an internal Memphis Police Department investigation into the Jan. 7 arrest of Nichols, who died in a hospital three days later.
In addition to second-degree murder, the officers also have been charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. They are all out on bond.
Nichols’ death is the latest police killing to prompt nationwide protests and an intense public discussion about police brutality. Nichols, 29, was Black. All five officers charged in his death also are Black.
Nichols was stopped for an alleged traffic violation and pulled out of his car by officers who used profanity, with at least one brandishing a gun, records showed. An officer hit Nichols with a stun gun, but Nichols ran away toward his nearby home, according to video released by the city.