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Ex-Memphis Officers Plead Not Guilty Involved In Tyre Nichols’ Death

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Ex-Memphis Officers Plead Not Guilty Involved In Tyre Nichols' Death

(CTN NEWS) – MEMPHIS, Tenn. –  Tyre Nichols was violently arrested and killed while detained by five former Memphis police officers on Friday. Tyre Nichols’ mother claimed after the proceedings that none of the defendants would look her in the eye in court.

In Shelby County Criminal Court, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith made their initial court appearances in front of the judge with the assistance of their attorneys.

After an internal police investigation following the arrest of Nichols on January 7, who passed away in a hospital three days later, the policemen were discharged. His assault was captured on camera.

RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, said at a news conference following the hearing that although the police lacked the confidence to look her in the eye, “they’re going to see me at every court date — everyone — until we get justice for my son,”

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RowVaughn Wells, center, the mother of Tyre Nichols, stands during a press conference after an indictment hearing for five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of her son at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Wells remarked, “I feel extremely numb right now. And I’m waiting for someone to wake me up from what is essentially a nightmare I’m experiencing. I am aware that won’t happen.

Regarding second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression, the officers entered a not-guilty plea. All of them are free on bond. On May 1, they will be heard again.

The Nichols case is the most recent to spark widespread demonstrations and reignite a heated public debate about police violence. Black Nichols, age 29, was. The five officers who are accused of killing him are all Black.

Judge James Jones Jr. addressed the courtroom and urged decorum and patience, emphasizing that “this matter can take some time.”

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The screen at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans honors Tyre Nichols before an NBA basketball game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Washington Wizards, Jan. 28, 2023.(AP Photo/Matthew Hinton, File)

According to Jones, everyone involved in the case wants it to be over as soon as possible. But everyone must know that the state of Tennessee and each defendant have a fundamental right to a fair trial.

After the incident, John Keith Perry, the lawyer for Bean, appeared with the media and insisted numerous times that the officer “never struck” Nichols and that Bean were carrying out his duty.

“Taddarius Bean never made physical contact with Nichols and never struck him. Period” declared Perry.

Both the evidence from the film and Bean’s remarks refute that assertion.

When police couldn’t handcuff Nichols, Bean acknowledged to police investigators that he punched Nichols two or three times in the face.

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Attorney Ben Crump speaks alongside RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, during a press conference after an indictment hearing for five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Nichols at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

The Memphis Police Department filed a document requesting a ban on Bean ever working in law enforcement, citing the admission.

The document mentions that Bean’s activities were recorded on video.

After a form of an internal investigation that, for legal reasons, will probably never be examined by a jury, Bean admitted to throwing the punches.

Nichols was also pepper sprayed, kicked, punched, and assaulted with a baton while Bean was holding him by one of his arms.

Casio Montez, a protester, interrupted Bean’s attorney as he was speaking to the media and alleged that Nichols’ death was murder: “You stand for a killer, bro,”

FILE - This combination of images provided by the Memphis, Tenn., Police Department shows, from top row from left, Police Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. The five former Memphis police officers were scheduled Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, to make their first court appearance on murder and other charges in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols. (Memphis Police Department via AP, File)

The process must be “focused on the facts and the law, and not the deep emotions that our society is experiencing,” according to Mills’ attorney Blake Ballin.

He said the country’s sorrow over Nichols’ passing “certainly should be directed into demanding change in the manner that we police our communities.”

Let’s not overlook the fact that my client is a Black man in an American courtroom, Ballin remarked.

When contacted for comment, Martin and Smith’s attorneys did not immediately react. In an email, Haley’s attorney declined to comment.

According to press conference speaker and assistant district attorney Paul Hagerman, “Memphis and the entire world need to see that what’s right is done in this case, and it ought to happen sooner rather than later.”

Ex Memphis officers plead not gu

RowVaughn Wells, center, the mother of Nichols stands during a press conference after an indictment hearing for five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of her son at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Together with their attorney, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, Nichols’ mother and stepfather, Rodney Wells, were present in court.

At the news conference following the hearing, Rodney Wells exclaimed, “This is a great day.” This marks the start of the procedure.

Police took Nichols out of his car after stopping him for what they claimed was a traffic infraction, and at least one of the policemen was armed.

According to CCTV footage published by the city, Nichols was shocked by an officer but managed to flee in the direction of his close-by home.

When Nichols screamed for his mother, the Scorpion crime-fighting team’s officers pursued him and punched, kicked, and slugged him with a baton.

The video indicated that the officers watched and chatted among themselves as Nichols battled with his injuries on the ground after the attack. Video and records showed that an officer photographed Nichols while leaning against an unmarked police vehicle.

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RowVaughn Wells, center, the mother of Tyre Nichols, stands with attorneys Ben Crump, left, and Kareem Ali as she speaks during a press conference after an indictment hearing for five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of her son at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Investigators are aware of images received from Haley’s phone and have identified the recipients of the photos, the district attorney’s office spokesman Erica Williams texted The Associated Press on Friday.

Authorities claim that Nichols was transported to a hospital in an ambulance that departed the scene of the beating 27 minutes after emergency care personnel arrived.

Authorities claimed that Nichols had been suspected of driving recklessly, but neither public records nor camera footage had revealed any conclusive proof of a traffic infraction.

The stop and the officer’s actions were not supported by any evidence, according to Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, the director of the Memphis Police Department. With Nichols’ passing, she disbanded the Scorpion unit, which she founded in November 2021.

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Involved in the first traffic stop was another white officer who had now been fired. A second officer has not been named and has been placed on administrative leave.

The Memphis Fire Department has fired three employees who were on-site during the arrest. Furthermore, present were two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who have now been placed on paid leave.

The family of Nichols, their attorneys, civic leaders, and activists have urged the Memphis Police Department to reform its policy regarding traffic stops, the use of force, transparency, and other areas.

Some of the victims’ family members and attorneys have complimented Davis and the department for their prompt action and stated that it should be the benchmark for future investigations into police misconduct.

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