This combo of booking images provided by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office shows, from top row from left, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. The five former Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in the arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.
Shelby County Sheriff's Office via AP
Updated January 26, 2023 at 3:03 PM ET
Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted and jailed in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, who died days after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith each face several charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
Like Nichols, all of the fired officers are Black.
On Wednesday, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis released a video statement discussing "the horrific circumstances" of Nichols' death. She called it a professional failing and said "the incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane."
The Shelby County district attorney is scheduled to hold a news conference to discuss the charges on Thursday at 2 p.m. local time.
Police body camera footage is expected to be made public in coming days
Body camera footage of the incident has been shown to Nichols' family but has not been made public. Local officials have said they will release it this week or next week.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said in its statement it understood the "reasonable request from the public" to view the video of Nichols' death. The office said it was working to determine how quickly it could release the footage.
Family members and supporters hold a photograph of Tyre Nichols at a news conference in Memphis, Tenn., earlier this week.
Gerald Herbert / AP
Nichols died on Jan. 10, three days after he was stopped by Memphis police for reckless driving. Police said the 29-year-old fled the scene of the traffic stop but eventually was taken into custody after two "confrontations" with officers.
Nichols had complained of shortness of breath following his arrest and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to authorities. His family said the police beat him so badly that he became unrecognizable.
Family's attorney says Nichols was the latest victim "of a simple traffic stop"
Ben Crump, one of the family's attorneys, said during a news conference earlier this week that Nichols was tased, pepper-sprayed and restrained during the arrest.
Crump said that, in body camera footage of the incident, Nichols could be heard calling out for his mother.
"Yet again, we're seeing evidence of what happens to Black and brown people from simple traffic stops," Crump said. "You should not be killed because of a simple traffic stop."
Earlier this week in a statement posted to Twitter, Davis, the police chief, said the five officers violated multiple police department policies — "including excessive use of force, duty to intervene. and duty to render aid."
"The Memphis Police Department is committed to protecting and defending the rights of every citizen in our city," Davis said. "The egregious nature of this incident is not a reflection of the good work that our officers perform, with integrity, every day."
The Justice Department and the FBI have also launched a civil rights investigation into Nichols' death; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched a separate investigation.
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