Five former Memphis police officers faced federal charges on Tuesday. They have been accused of violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist, by fatally beating him after a traffic stop and engaging in a subsequent cover-up.
The indictment alleges that they tampered with body-camera footage of the incident and provided false information to their superiors.
Separate from the state charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and official misconduct filed by local prosecutors against these ex-officers, the federal charges highlight their actions in violating Nichols' civil rights.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office plans to proceed with the state case, appreciating federal assistance while acknowledging that the two investigations are likely to remain distinct.
Video evidence from police body cameras and a utility pole camera documented the officers assaulting Nichols on January 7, using kicks, punches, baton strikes, pepper spray, and a stun gun. Nichols, a 29-year-old father and FedEx employee, pleaded for mercy during the attack, crying out for his mother and insisting that he had done nothing wrong.
Nichols was hospitalized after the incident and passed away three days later. This case reignited a national conversation on racial injustice and police brutality, with President Biden mentioning it during his State of the Union address in February.
The federal charges accuse the officers of violating Nichols' civil rights both during the assault itself and by failing to intervene, provide medical aid, and concealing the incident from medical responders. If convicted, the officers face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the civil rights charges and up to 20 years for the counts related to false statements and cover-up.
Kristen Clarke, head of the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division, emphasized that Tyre Nichols should be alive today, and Ben Crump, the civil rights lawyer representing the Nichols family, praised the grand jury's decision, asserting that the officers unjustifiably and unconstitutionally killed Tyre Nichols.
The former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith, previously pleaded not guilty to the state charges in February after being terminated from the Memphis Police Department.
Initial reports stated Nichols was stopped for reckless driving, but later, the city's police chief declared the basis for the stop was unsubstantiated.
The defendants are expected to make their initial court appearances on the federal charges soon. Defense attorneys expressed their clients' intentions to plead not guilty and vigorously defend themselves.
In July, the Justice Department initiated a separate civil investigation into the Memphis Police Department's potential "pattern or practice" of unconstitutional excessive force and racial discrimination. This probe includes a review of allegations that African-American motorists were disproportionately stopped for minor infractions in the majority-Black city.
The Justice Department has received multiple reports of excessive force used by Memphis officers, even against individuals who were already restrained or in custody. Community meetings are being conducted as part of this ongoing civil investigation.
In another news, Abra McDonald, aged 49, who was arrested in June for allegedly mistreating and neglecting her 67-year-old mother in Kentucky, has been indicted. See detailed story here.
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