Five Former Memphis Police Charged With Violating Civil Rights In The Case Of The Death Of Black Rider Tyre Nichols

Illustration. (Pexels/Ekaterina Bolovtsova)

JAKARTA - Five former Memphis policemen, United States, were indicted in federal court on Tuesday for violating the civil rights of black motorists Tyre Nichols by beating him to death, after stopping him while driving and making efforts to cover up.

The officers, in four counts returned by the federal jury, were accused of blurring footage of the attack's body camera and lying to their superiors.

The federal indictment is separate from the second-degree murder charges, the exacerbated assault and official offenses previously filed by local prosecutors at the Tennessee State Court against the former officer, all of whom are Americans of African descent.

The District Attorney's Office said it was continuing the state's case and welcomed federal government assistance, adding the two criminal investigations would most likely not intersect.

Videos of cameras worn on the bodies of police and cameras mounted on power poles captured images of five officers attacking Nichols with kicks, punches, and batons, pouring them with pepper sprays and firing anesthetic weapons at them after traffic cessation on January 7.

Nichols (29) was heard crying calling his mother during the attack and begging, "I didn't do anything. I'm just trying to go home," as reported by Reuters on September 13.

Had undergone treatment at the hospital after the attack, Nichols was declared dead three days later.

Federal charges accuse the officers of violating Nichols' civil rights in the attack, as well as for failing to intervene to stop him, not providing first aid afterward and hiding the attack from emergency medical personnel.

Each of the two civil rights charges carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if they are found guilty, said Kevin Ritz, US Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, at a news conference.

The other two charges face up to 20 years in prison each. They accused the officers of lying to superiors and investigators about the incident. They were also accused of trying to cover up the attack by removing or turning off their body cameras at important times, making up reports that Nichols was trying to take their weapons and "so strong that he lifted two officers into the air."

"Tyre Nichols should still be alive today. Nobody in this country should bury a loved one for police violence," Christian Clarke, who led the US Department of Justice's civil rights division, told reporters.

Meanwhile, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Nichols' family, thanked the jury in a separate statement, "for asserting what we already know in our hearts that police officers brutally killed Tire Nichols and that is unjustified, unnecessary and unconstitutional."

The five former officers, Tadarius Bean, Demetius Malin, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr, and Justin Smith, pleaded not guilty in February, on state charges after they were sacked from the Memphis Police Department.

The police initially said Nichols was ticketed for reckless driving. However, the city's police chief later said the reason for the termination was baseless.

The defendants are expected to appear in court for the first time on federal charges in the coming days, Ritz said.

Separately, the lawyers of the former police stated that his client was still defending his innocence in connection with federal charges.

Lawyer Michael Stengel, who represented Haley, said his client would pleaded not guilty and defend himself in court.

"This indictment is disappointing, but not surprising," Stengel said by email.

Williamfsyah, the lawyer representing Martin, said in an email: "We have been waiting for him and are ready to move forward."

Meanwhile, Blake Ballin's lawyer, who represented Mills, said the federal indictment "does not change Mills' position. He will continue to defend himself against all charges in both state and federal court systems."

It is known that President Joe Biden briefly cited Nichols' case when he called for police reform in a state speech last February. Nichols' parents attended the occasion as guests.