The five former police officers responsible for the brutal beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols have been indicted. The indictment includes charges of federal civil rights violations, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses. Justice Begins On September 12, justice was set in motion as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin […]
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The five former Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols appeared in court on Friday, August 18, to review previous cases. The question of whether the five codefendants – Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, Desmond Mills, Demetrius Haley, and Emmit Martin III – will be tried together or separately […]
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In a shocking turn of events, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has dropped dozens of criminal cases being worked on by the five former Memphis police officers who were indicted concerning the murder of Tyre Nichols. This decision comes just weeks after the officers faced charges for their alleged involvement in Nichols’ death. 100 […]
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In a significant move towards seeking justice and accountability, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced the opening of a civil investigation into the city of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department (MPD). The investigation, launched on July 28, is focused on scrutinizing the MPD’s use of force, stops, searches, and arrests, with a particular […]
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The untimely demise of Mark LeSure, a former Memphis police officer who had been vocal about the killing of Tyre Nichols, has shocked the community. LeSure, who acted as a spokesperson for justice in Nichols’ case, was discovered deceased in his driveway. LeSure was found dead on July 9th following his public criticism of the […]
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The five former Memphis police officers charged with second degree murder for the death of Tyre Nichols all pleaded not guilty to the crime. Moreover, the court arraigned Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith on Friday morning (February 17). Furthermore, officials also charged them with aggravated assault and kidnapping. In addition, Memphis PD terminated them from their posts on January 21, shortly after the incident. Their next court date is on May 1, and the judge said the case may take some time.
“This is the beginning of the process,” Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells stated after the hearing. “I want each and every one of those police officers to look me in the face. They did not do that today.” Alongside attorney Ben Crump, Nichols’ family spoke to the media in a press conference following Friday’s hearing. “It’s important that we move swiftly toward justice, so we don’t want there to be any unnecessary delays in prosecuting this case,” Crump expressed. However, one of the police officer’s attorneys said that much about the case is still unclear.
“There’s a lot we don’t know,” said attorney William Casey, who represents defendant Martin. “There’s a lot that we don’t see, and we want to be able to present a complete picture of this stop, particularly the initial stop.” Not only did the police department fire these officers, but they shut down the SCORPION Unit they belonged to. “That particular night, you’re looking at an isolated incident and [trying] to measure the person.” That was defense attorney John Keith Perry, representative of former officer Bean.
Furthermore, the five officials beat Nichols at a traffic stop, who was a 29-year-old father. He passed away three days after the incident, and footage from the stop made rounds on media platforms. Also, authorities will issue a “statement of charges” to several more Memphis force members for policy violations in this case. While other law officials face repercussions for their involvement in the tragedy, most eyes are on the five defendants. Stay tuned to HNHH for the latest pressing updates from the Tyre Nichols case.
Social media can be helpful when sharing information beneficial to the masses, but Tyre Nichols fell victim to unsubstantiated rumors. We’ve continued to report on the death of the 29-year-old who was beaten by police. Nichols was headed to his mother’s home when he was pulled over by officers, yanked out of his car, and tortured. Videos from the City of Memphis show him being tased, punched, kicked in the head, and bludgeoned with a baton. Emergency responders didn’t tend to his injuries for 20 minutes. Three days later, Nichols died in a hospital.
There has been a public outcry for justice, and five officers have been fired. Three employees of the Memphis Fire Department have also been let go, while two other officers have reportedly been suspended. Yesterday (February 1), Nichols’s funeral was live-streamed for the world, but amid the mourning were rumors about why the young father was targeted.
In such situations, people often try to reconcile what occurred by figuring out the answer to “why.” A rumor circulated about Tyre’s alleged involvement with one of his attackers’ wives, and his stepfather, Rodney Wells, stepped forward to call it all lies. He addressed the gossip during a press conference.
“Don’t anybody believe that mess,” said Wells. “They tryin’ to get out of this, but they’re not… Police tried to cover it up. It’s still trying to spread rumors about my son that are not true. For anybody that thought that these rumors are true, they are not. And to stand up here every day and try to put on this face and all that, it’s difficult. But we have to do it. I have. a wife, I have stepchildren that need my support.”
There have been reports that hours of additional footage have not yet been shared The tapes allegedly feature the officers speaking about the incident. The initial videos took weeks to be released, and the public has questioned why the City of Memphis responded so slowly. Attorney Ben Crump represents the Nichols family, but former NBA Stephen Jackson said his involvement with the case was political.
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Today (February 1), the public funeral for Tyre Nichols was livestreamed for the world. The 29-year-old was killed earlier this month by a mob of police officers who savagely beat him. Three days later, Nichols, a father of a four-year-old, succumbed to his injuries. Several political figures and celebrities gathered for Nichols’s homegoing, and Rev. Al Sharpton was responsible for delivering the eulogy.
“The tape speaks for itself. They started beating an unarmed man,” said Sharpton. “In the city where the dreamer laid down and shed his blood, you have the unmitigated gall to beat your brother.” The display is being talked about across social media platforms, and Stephen Jackson chimed in with a hot take.
On Instagram, The Shade Room posted about Sharpton’s appearance at Nichols’s funeral. It wasn’t a sight that impressed Jackson, who worked alongside activists when George Floyd was killed by officers in Minnesota. The former NBA giant called out purported leaders who he suggested have ulterior motives.
“Y’all keep letting these folk fool y’all,” Jackson commented. “Same scene Al sharpton and Crump Crew. All for political gain. They pray on people’s pain.” He also said, “Seeen it first hand with G Floyd. If it’s not a national media case u won’t see them. Yet we getting killed everywhere by police. Free game.”
Attorney Ben Crump, who was also at the Nichols funeral, is well-known as a representative for families of police violence. Sharpton has a long history of activism, although his methods have often been criticized by all sides.
It is further reported that five Memphis police officers were fired, all Black men, and another two were relieved of their duties. Additionally, the Memphis Fire Department also made some changes. A lieutenant and two emergency responders were also fired following an investigation. It was stated that they did not adequately administer aid to Nichols following the attack.
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A traffic stop has turned into national outrage after videos of Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis officers have been released. The 29-year-old father was pulled over earlier this month before he was savagely thrashed on the road. It took weeks for the Memphis Police Department to release the footage. The director of the FBI even issued a statement saying he was stunned by the visuals.
Five Black officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith—were fired from the department on January 20. It was quickly shared that they also faced several charges, including second-degree murder.
However, after the video of the incident with Nichols was released, many noticed there was also a white cop on the scene. Additionally, when EMTs arrived following the attack, Nichols went untreated for approximately 20 minutes. Three days later, he succumbed to his injuries.
Activist Shaun King called for others involved to be held accountable. This included Preston Hemphill, the Memphis officer who allegedly repeatedly tased Nichols. Following the uproar, the police department shared that Hemphill had been suspended.
Further, the Memphis Fire Department has done a bit of investigating of its own. In a statement, they detailed what they learned, and this included two EMTs who did not adequately treat Nichols at the scene. They were reportedly responding to a call about a person who was pepper sprayed but failed to conduct a proper patient assessment.
The EMTs have been named as Robert Long and JaMichael Sandridge. Lieutenant Michelle Whitaker was also said to have been fired, as well. None of the newly named officials have been arrested or charged at this time. It is unclear if they will face charges in the future.
“The five officers terminated were directly involved at the first and second scene where Mr. Nichols was physically abused and suffered serious injuries,” a press release stated. “Officer Preston Hemphill and other officers’ actions and inactions have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation since its inception on January 8, 2023.”
“Numerous charges still developing (are) impending.”
It has also been reported that a seventh officer has also been suspended. At this time, they have not been named.
Meet Police Officer Preston Hemphill
the white officer who deployed the taser. He also shouted “I hope they stomped his ass”. You can clearly see his hand in the video. He has yet to be charged with the crime of murder.
The investigation is not completed. pic.twitter.com/XmrdsCU0TS
— IG: RahiemShabazz (@rahiemshabazz) January 30, 2023
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The murder of Tyre Nichols by several Memphis police officers has captured the attention of the U.S., and Ciara didn’t like what a particular sports journalist had to say. Earlier this month, 29-year-old Nichols was pulled over for a traffic stop. The incident escalated, and he was pulled from his vehicle, pepper sprayed, and tased by a group of officers.
He managed to run from the ordeal, but he was tracked down, held against his will, and beaten. Three days later, he succumbed to his injuries. The City of Memphis released four videos showing the development of the encounter. In one clip, Nichols is seen being held down on the ground as a cop kicks him in the head. Another takes out a baton and beats him. Later, Nichols is also held up by several officers as he’s repeatedly punched. While on the ground, the man cried out for his mother.
The outrage was swift, and commentator Jason Whitlock chimed in with his takeaways.
“There is a racial element. And this is a story about young Black men and their inability to treat each other in a humane way,” Whitlock said. “Everybody involved in this on the street level was either 24 to 32 years old. Everybody. It was a group of young Black men, five-on-one. Looked like gang violence to me.”
Then, he shifted the blame.
“It looked like what young Black men do when they’re supervised by a single Black woman.”
Ciara caught wind of the hot take and didn’t like what she saw.
This is how we should remember Tyre Nichols. As we seek justice for his brutal death, the heartfelt words of his family members will drive us forward and be a CONSTANT reminder of why we have to prevent this from ever happening again. #CallOutTheCulture
: @WashingtonPost pic.twitter.com/777nhDzWkZ
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 29, 2023
The singer tweeted, “.@WhitlockJason As a black man to get on national tv and say something like this is irresponsible.”
“A lot of amazing kids have come from single mothers,” she further stated. For you to also undermine single black women in the midst of this tragedy is so sad. This woman just lost her son! Do better!”
Ciara gained wide support for her reaction, but Whitlock returned to only double down on his initial remarks.
“Appreciate the feedback, Ciara,” he said. “But at some point, we are going to have to deal with the negative impact of baby-mama culture. It’s destructive and unsustainable. Come up out of the denial. Denial won’t fix the problem. Thanks.”
Whitlock continues to defend that “baby mama culture” is to blame for violence within the Black community. Meanwhile, a sixth officer has been relieved of duty in connection with the Nichols case.
It was reported that Preston Hemphill was also involved in the beating of the 29-year-old. He has not been arrested at the time of this publication.
Check out a few reactions to Ciara and Whitlock’s exchange below.
Thank you @ciara What a self loathing, cold, reckless, stereotypical, insensitive clout chasing untruth to spew in front of millions
Tyre called out for his mama and this was his takeaway? Neither Tyre’s mother or Chief CJ are single black moms so WHY say that? Pathetic troll
— Holly Robinson Peete
(@hollyrpeete) January 29, 2023
