5 ex-Memphis police officers are charged with murder in Tyre Nichols’ death

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January 26, 2023

By David K. Li, Juliette Arcodia, Tim Stelloh and Deon J. Hampton, NBC News

Family members and local activists hold a rally Monday for Tyre Nichols at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. (Mark Weber / Daily Memphian via AP)

Five former Memphis police officers were indicted Thursday on murder charges in the death of Tyre Nichols, whose beating after a traffic stop was captured on video that “sickened” a top Tennessee law enforcement official.

The officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired after, Police Chief C.J. Davis said, they violated department policies during the Jan. 7 stop that led to Nichols’ death.

All five former officers were charged 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, prosecutors announced.

“The actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols, and they are all responsible,” Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told reporters.

Learn more about the charges.

Encounters like these prompted the Black Lives Matter movement.

We’ve been following this story on our breaking news page.

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