Five former Memphis Police Department officers face murder charges after being indicted and arrested Thursday, Jan. 26, in connection with the beating death of Memphian Tyre Nichols, who died on Jan. 10.
The indictments and second-degree murder charges follow an independent use-of-force investigation conducted by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Nichols, 29, was reportedly driving home from Shelby Farms Park on the evening of Jan. 7 when he encountered Memphis police officers during a traffic stop at the intersection of Raines and Ross roads at about 8:22 p.m.
It was the first of two encounters with officers, according to the TBI, which investigated the incident at the request of 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. Evidence shows Nichols ran from officers during a physical altercation, according to a TBI release.
“A second encounter with officers occurred a short time later around Castlegate Lane and Bear Creek Cove, which also included a physical encounter, after which Nichols, 29, was hospitalized in Memphis with critical injuries,” TBI said in the release.
Nichols died in the hospital on Jan. 10.
On Thursday, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned indictments against the five former officers, who were terminated by the Memphis Police Department.
Charged with second-degree murder and six other crimes are Demetrius Haley, 30; Emmitt Martin III, 30; Tadarrius Bean, 24; Desmond Mills Jr., 32; and Justin Smith, 28.
The TBI said its investigation concluded those were the men who caused Nichols’ injuries.
In addition to second-degree murder, each of the five men is charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated kidnapping in possession of a deadly weapon, official misconduct, official misconduct-refrain, and official oppression.
All five surrendered to TBI agents on Thursday and were booked into the Shelby County Jail. Bond was set at $350,000 for Haley and Martin, and $250,000 for Bean, Mills, and Smith.
This remains an ongoing investigation, TBI said.
A video of the encounter Nichols had with the five former officers is supposed to be released after 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.
