Tyre Nichols, 29, was pulled over during a traffic check on January 7, was assaulted brutally and fatally and died three days later. All of which are vividly seen in four terrifying videos that the city of Memphis released on Friday night.
8:24 p.m. Officers conduct a traffic stop and apprehend Nichols
8:24 p.m. Officers conduct a traffic stop and apprehend Nichols
"Get the f— out the f—-ing car!" an officer is heard screaming while pulling Nichols out of his car.
"I didn't do anything," Nichols responds.
A scuffle ensues, with an officer yelling "Get on the f—ing ground!"
"All right, I'm on the ground!" Nichols says.
Police had said that they stopped Nichols for reckless driving, but Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said early Friday morning an investigation and review of available camera footage found “no proof” of that.
Officers are seen pinning Nichols to the ground on his side while grabbing his arms and giving him contradictory orders.
"You guys are really doing a lot right now," Nichols is heard saying during the encounter. "I'm just trying to go home!"
Officers attempt to stun Nichols with a stun gun, but he runs away, and they pursue him on foot. They make a call for assistance, which shows up at 8:29 o'clock and chases Nichols.
Officers ask Nichols' location as two police cars arrive at the junction where he was first stopped. On the radio, an officer can be heard indicating that they have seen Nichols running on foot.
During his second run-in with the police, Nichols receives repeated pepper spraying.
Nichols hears a police say, "Shut the f—- up!"
Nichols is lying on the pavement with two officers on top of him.
Police tell Nichols, "Give me your hands."
As police start to hit and slap him in the face, Nichols seems to cover his face.
"You want to get sprayed again?" one officer says to Nichols.
Nichols screams, "Mom!" repeatedly. Police caught up with Nichols in a neighborhood — less than 80 yards, his mother has said, from her home.
Officers ask again for Nichols to give them his hands. "All right, all right," he replies and appears to move his hands to his back.
Officers continue to pepper-spray Nichols directly in the eyes while he lies on the ground. They are heard complaining the chemical spray got in their eyes as well.
Nichols is trapped on his side on the pavement and is shown being kicked in the head by at least one police officer.
Nichols is supported by the officers, who pin his hands behind him. Officers continuously hit Nichols in the head and strike him with batons while he stumbles around.
On the street, handcuffed, is Nichols.
Nichols is propped against the unmarked police cruiser by two medical personnel. Nichols is awake but clearly hurt. Although they are visible circling nearby Nichols, the medical staff is not currently providing aid.
The two firefighters who initially cared for Nichols were later stripped of their duties.
Nichols was hospitalized in critical condition after the encounter and died three days later.
Five officers involved in the case — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired after an administrative investigation found they had violated department policy on the use of force.
The former officers, all members of the department's vaunted Scorpion unit, were charged Thursday with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault.
In a Friday news conference, Nichols’ family and attorneys praised the swift charges and investigation.
“We look at how swiftly the district attorney brought charges against them in less than 20 days. Then we want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be black or white, will be held accountable,” Ben Crump, one of the attorneys, said.
The officers were released from jail on bond. Bean, Mills and Smith posted $250,000 bond; Haley and Martin posted $350,000 bond.
They will be arraigned together Feb. 17, according to court records.
On Saturday, the Memphis Police Department permanently deactivated Scorpion, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods. The unit was launched in November 2021 when the city’s murder rate was soaring and the community was calling for action.
“In the process of listening intently to the family of Tyre Nichols, community leaders, and the uninvolved officers who have done quality work in their assignment, it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit,” the department said in a statement Saturday.
According to the statement, “the officers currently assigned to the unit agree unreservedly with this next step. While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.”
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