The police ‘encounter’
According to a statement from Memphis police, officers pulled over a vehicle for suspected reckless driving around 8:30 p.M. On Jan. 7.
A confrontation took place between the officers and the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Nichols, who then ran away on foot, as reported by the Memphis police. The officers managed to apprehend him and another confrontation ensued, leading to Nichols’ arrest, according to the police.
This occurred precisely at the location where Nichols twice encountered officers and felt compelled to question why these confrontations lasted so long. He was involved in the initial police encounter on foot, but then fled from Nichols, and it is unclear how far he drove recklessly and what it appeared to be about.
During a press conference on Thursday, Steve Mulroy, the District Attorney for Shelby County, stated that there was a period of time elapsed when Nicholas, an officer in Memphis, was injured while trying to get medical help during a traffic stop.
Nichols fled and pepper spray was used, involving multiple officers and an initial confrontation during a traffic stop, Mulroy stated.
“Mulroy proceeded,” Mr. Nichols sustained severe injuries at a nearby site where another confrontation took place. “He was transported by an ambulance” after lingering for a certain duration of time subsequently.
As per a declaration, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation declared that Nichols passed away as a result of injuries endured in the “encounter involving the use of force with law enforcement personnel” three days after the encounter on Jan. 10.
Nichols suffered “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to preliminary results of an autopsy commissioned by attorneys for his family.
Attorney Benjamin Crump stated that on January 7, 2023, the family and lawyers witnessed Tyre’s tragic confrontation with the police on the video, and his visible wounds align with the initial findings, suggesting that Tyre endured significant bleeding as a result of a brutal assault.
The complete report is still in progress, however, Crump mentioned that CNN has requested a duplicate of the post-mortem examination commissioned by the family. The officials have not yet made available the autopsy of Nichols either.
All five law enforcement officials are being accused in the case involving the death of Nichols.
After its internal investigation, the Memphis police department fired and identified five officers who were involved in multiple traffic violations in order to put a stop to their misconduct.
The department stated that Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., And Justin Smith were dismissed due to their failure in adhering to “unreasonable application of force, obligation to intervene, and obligation to provide assistance.”
According to records from both Shelby County criminal court and Shelby County jail, Martin III, Smith, Bean, Haley, and Mills, Jr. Have all been accused of one count of official oppression, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, and second-degree murder.
While all five previous officials have been accused, it remains uncertain the specific contribution of each officer in the occurrence.
The statement from the Memphis police association, representing the union officers, declined to comment on the complete account of events leading up to his death, stating that it may have contributed to it and the Nichols’ family deserves to know beyond the terminations in the city of Memphis.
CNN’s Nadia Romero informed Public Information Officer Qwanesha Ward that, along with the dismissal of the officers, two employees from the Memphis Fire Department who were involved in Nichols’ “initial patient care” were also terminated.
It is unclear to what extent employees were involved in taking care of Nichols, what type of aid was provided, and if any assistance was given at all.
“Family attorney Antonio Romanucci informed CNN on Tuesday that there were “restrictions” on the extent to which he could express himself when asked about the actions or inactions of those fire department employees.”
He said, “They are there with Tyre and prior police officers, arriving EMS. There is a fire on the scene. The scene is on fire.” This is happening during a specific time period.
Who is Tyre Nichols?
Nichols was the youngest of his father’s four children, and he loved being a son to his family.
He was a “good boy” who spent his Sundays doing laundry and getting ready for the week, his mother, RowVaughn Wells, said.
Wells said, “He was almost there, but not quite perfect. Did the police say that someone like that sounded like they did all these bad things?”
As per his mother, Nichols moved to Memphis before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ended up stuck there when limitations were enforced.
From the age of 6, Nichols has been engaged in photography and skateboarding, activities he finds pleasure in when he is not working the second shift at FedEx.
Nichols had Crohn’s disease, a digestive issue, and was a slim 140 to 145 pounds despite his six-foot-three-inch height, his mother said.
What law enforcement officials have stated following the occurrence
On January 18, the Department of Justice announced that they had initiated a civil rights inquiry into the passing of Nichols.
Kevin G. Ritz, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, stated that a civil rights inquiry has been initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s office, working together with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. This acknowledgment is made in recognition of the continuous efforts by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. However, no additional information was provided.
The chief of police in Memphis denounced the actions of the officers involved.
Davis Cerelyn, Chief Nichols’ death was mentioned in her first on-camera comments about the arrest in a YouTube video on Wednesday. She stated, “This is a fundamental failure towards another individual’s humanity. This is not just a professional failure.”
