Cameron Miranda
On January 7, 2023, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was brutally beaten and killed by five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee. The officers, all members of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) SCORPION unit, pulled Nichols from his car, pepper-sprayed, and tasered him. Nichols managed to break free and ran towards his mother's house, but the officers caught up with him and subjected him to further violence. The officers were charged and convicted of various crimes, including second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and civil rights violations. The incident sparked outrage and protests across the nation and raised questions about police brutality and accountability.
What You'll Learn
Did Tyre Nichols resist arrest?
On January 7, 2023, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving in Memphis, Tennessee. Five police officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith—all members of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) Scorpion unit, used excessive force to remove Nichols from his car before pepper-spraying and tasering him. Nichols broke free and ran towards his mother's house, which was less than a mile away.
Nichols' conduct was initially described as non-resisting and non-violent. According to footage from the incident, Nichols was compliant but was met with force, causing him to run away, which could be interpreted as resisting arrest.
As he fled, Nichols was pursued by at least two officers. Additional police units arrived at the scene, and Nichols was eventually caught and restrained by three officers. Footage from a pole-mounted CCTV camera showed an officer using his leg to push Nichols forcefully to the ground. Nichols was then punched, pepper-sprayed a second time, and kicked in the upper torso multiple times by different officers. One officer can be heard yelling, "I'm going to baton the fk out of you," before striking Nichols several times with a baton, and he was also punched five times in the face by one officer.
The video footage clearly shows that the officers had control of Nichols's arms when he was struck with the baton, kicked, and punched in the face. A fifth officer then arrived and kicked Nichols in the upper torso while he was being handcuffed, followed by another kick to the upper torso by a different officer.
The officers' interaction with Nichols has been described as starting with "poor communication" and quickly escalating. Nichols's family lawyers assert that he was tortured to death by the police officers.
A police report written two hours after the incident claimed that Nichols was irate, sweating profusely, and refused to be detained during the initial traffic stop. It also stated that pepper spray and a taser were ineffective in controlling him. However, the released videos did not corroborate these claims or the officers' assertion that Nichols reached for their weapons.
In conclusion, while Nichols did resist arrest by running away from the officers, the excessive and deadly force used by the police was unjustified and a clear violation of police protocols and Nichols' civil rights.
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Were the officers charged with murder?
On January 26, 2023, five Memphis police officers were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tyre Nichols. The officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith, were also charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Three of the officers initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, in November 2023, Desmond Mills Jr. pleaded guilty to federal charges of deprivation of rights and conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. In August 2024, Emmitt Martin III also pleaded guilty to two of the four federal charges against him: excessive force and witness tampering.
In October 2024, a federal jury convicted three of the officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, on various charges. Haley was convicted of deprivation of rights, bodily injury conspiracy, and obstruction. Bean and Smith were each found guilty of one lesser count of obstruction related to witness tampering and were acquitted of more severe charges related to civil rights violations and bodily injury.
The five officers also faced second-degree murder charges in state court, where they initially pleaded not guilty. However, Mills and Martin were expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not been set.
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What was the role of the Scorpion unit?
The SCORPION unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods, was a 30-50-person unit dedicated to fighting violent crime. The unit was assembled by Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis in October 2021 to deal with serious crimes in "high-crime hotspots".
SCORPION officers did not have to respond to dispatcher calls. Instead, they were tasked with identifying a target area, flooding that area with officers, and suppressing crime. In its first three weeks, the unit made 338 arrests, including 125 felony arrests.
The unit was criticised for using heavy-handed tactics, such as initiating contact for minor crimes like seatbelt violations, tinted windows, or low-level drug offences. This often escalated the use of aggressive tactics by the police with little supervision.
On January 28, 2023, one day after body camera footage of Tyre Nichols' arrest and the officers' violent confrontation with him was released, Chief Davis announced that the SCORPION unit would be "permanently deactivated".
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What was the outcome of the trial?
The outcome of the trial surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols has been ongoing, with various outcomes for the five officers involved.
On 26 January 2023, a grand jury indicted the five Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers for multiple charges: second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
On 1 November 2023, Desmond Mills Jr. pleaded guilty to federal charges of deprivation of rights and conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
On 23 August 2024, Emmett Martin III changed his plea to guilty.
On 3 October 2024, Haley was convicted of all four counts he was charged with, including civil rights deprivation-related charges. Bean and Smith were each convicted of one lesser count related to witness tampering.
On 20 December 2024, Mills pleaded guilty to two of the four counts in the indictment: excessive force and failing to intervene, as well as conspiring to cover up his use of unlawful force.
On 5 October 2024, the three officers convicted of witness tampering were acquitted of the most serious charge they faced. Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges, while Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols' civil rights causing death but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury.
On 28 April 2025, the remaining ex-officers will go on trial for second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official oppression.
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What was the public reaction?
The public reaction to the killing of Tyre Nichols was one of outrage and grief. Protests occurred in Memphis, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, and Newark.
US President Joe Biden spoke with Tyre Nichols' family, expressing his condolences and joining their call for peaceful protest. He also renewed his push for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to tackle police misconduct. Vice President Kamala Harris joined Biden in his call for accountability and transparency.
Various police officers also reacted to Nichols' death. Police Chief Cerelyn J. Davis released a video statement, saying:
> This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual.
New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell denounced what she called "disgraceful actions", while Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown called the video "horrific". FBI Director Christopher Wray said he was appalled by the video, and Patrick Yoes, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, stated:
> The event as described to us does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong. This is a criminal assault under the pretext of law.
The Legal Aid Society of New York City released a statement that read:
> We must continue to question the police's role in society, as these incidents frequently recur, and many more happen all the time without being captured on body-worn cameras.
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin said:
> We need a national conversation about policing in a responsible, constitutional and humane way. These men and women with badges put them on each day and risk their lives for us. I know that, but we also see from these videos horrible conduct by these same officers in unacceptable situations.
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation issued a statement that said:
> Although the media has spent a great amount of time drawing attention to the fact that the police officers are black as if that is important, let us be clear: all police represent the interest of capitalism and impel state-sanctioned violence. Anyone who works within a system that perpetuates state-sanctioned violence is complicit in upholding white supremacy.
Public figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, civil rights activist Martin Luther King III, and President & CEO of the NAACP Derrick Johnson also reacted to the killing of Tyre Nichols, calling for an end to police brutality and for Congress to act.
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Frequently asked questions
Tyre Nichols was initially stopped by police for reckless driving. However, the Memphis Police Chief stated that there was no evidence of probable cause for the traffic stop.
The police pulled Nichols out of his car, shoved him to the ground, and tried to tase him. Nichols then attempted to run away, but the officers caught up with him and punched, kicked, and hit him with a baton.
Nichols died three days after the beating due to extensive bleeding caused by the severe police beating. The five officers involved were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Yes, the case sparked outrage and intensified calls for police reform in Memphis and across the United States. Protests occurred in several cities, and Nichols' family filed a $550 million lawsuit against the City of Memphis.
