A federal grand jury has recently indicted five Memphis Police Department officers for their involvement in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. The officers, who have also been charged under Tennessee state law, have pleaded not guilty to these state charges.
The officers indicted by the federal grand jury include Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith. All were once part of a specialized unit within the Memphis police force called the SCORPION unit, created to combat a rise in violent crime in Memphis. They now face four new federal criminal charges.
One charge alleges that the officers violated Nichols’ constitutional rights by applying excessive force and failing to intervene, depriving Nichols of his right under the US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment to be free from unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force. This charge also suggests that the officers failed to halt their unlawful assault on Nichols.
The second federal charge focuses on the officers’ purported “deliberate indifference” after the assault. The officers allegedly knew that Nichols required medical aid but failed to provide it or to notify the Memphis Police Department or emergency services, thereby leading to Nichols’ death. According to this indictment, the officers thus deprived Nichols of his right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment.
The third charge accuses the officers of conspiring to mislead their superiors and other officers about their actions following the assault. The indictment alleges that the officers sought to prevent their superiors from learning about the incident due to concern that it could constitute a federal offense.
The fourth charge pertains to alleged witness tampering by the officers. The officers are said to have omitted details from their police reports, thereby obstructing justice.
Nichols died in a Memphis hospital three days after his fatal beating by these former officers, which occurred following a routine traffic stop on January 7. The incident was recorded on the officers’ body cameras, and on a camera positioned on a pole nearby. The officers stated that they pulled Nichols over for allegedly reckless driving. However, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis has revealed that there is “no proof” that Nichols was driving recklessly. Following Nichols’ killing, the SCORPION unit was disbanded.
Tennessee has not yet determined a penalty for the officers’ guilty pleas. However, the officers face potential murder convictions which could result in prison sentences of up to 60 years. Additionally, if they are found guilty of the federal charges, they could face life in prison.