At a somber vigil for Tyre Nichols, anger is directed toward change
The family of Tyre Nichols, friends, mourners and skateboarders gathered in Tobey Skatepark for a vigil on Jan. 26, 2023.
The family of Tyre Nichols, friends, mourners and skateboarders gathered in Tobey Skatepark for a vigil on Jan. 26, 2023.
Attorneys for the family of Tyre Nichols have released a letter calling for an end to law enforcement units like that of Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, in his first video statement on the Nichols incident said the city and Memphis Police Department must work to “regain the public’s trust.”
“We’ve all seen videos where there is police brutality,” Ballin said. “We’re urging the public to reserve judgement.”
“While each of the five individuals played a different role in the incident in question, the actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible,” Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy said.
The officers who were booked Thursday are Tadarrius Bean, 24; Demetrius Haley, 30; Emmitt Martin III, 30; Desmond Mills Jr., 32; and Justin Smith, 28.
In a recorded statement released late Wednesday evening, Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said other MPD officers, besides the five already fired last week for violating department policies in Tyre Nichols’ death, are under investigation.
Retired Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe, executive director of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, sent a letter to Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Sheriff’s Association, and the letter was obtained by WVTF-TV Channel 5 in Nashville.
The unit identifies upticks in motor vehicle thefts and violent crime and then targets those areas with patrolling SCORPION officers.
“Our federal investigation may take some time,” Ritz said. “These things often do. But we will be diligent, and we will make decisions based on the facts and the law.” Tyre Nichols suffered ‘extensive bleeding,’ independent autopsy reports Memphis City Council looks at police reforms in wake of Tyre Nichols’ deathRelated stories:
Proposals include keeping data on police traffic stops and renewing plans to increase police training.
Police reports indicate at least 19 vehicles were broken into over the weekend, during one of the center’s first big events.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said he hired the same pathologist in this case as he did in the case of George Floyd, whose family he also represented. Memphis City Council looks at police reforms in wake of Tyre Nichols’ deathRelated coverage:
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis, who generally attends the council’s biweekly public safety committee, was not present for the Tuesday, Jan. 24, morning meeting.
A TikTok user has drawn attention to a possible connection between six murders in the Westwood area. Raines Station police addressed each one.
The former Memphis police officer was one of five MPD officers who faced disciplinary action and later fired following a Saturday, Jan. 7, traffic stop that led to the death of Nichols, 29, three days later.
The investigation concluded they violated multiple department policies, including excessive use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid. Related story:
A 15-year-old accused in the July killing of Rev. Autura Eason-Williams will be transferred to adult court while a second 16-year-old suspect will stay in juvenile court.
The Germantown Republican pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to two counts related to his unsuccessful run for Congress in 2016; about two weeks later, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended his license to practice law.
A definitive date has not been given, but the city said in a statement earlier this week that the footage would not be released until Nichols’ family meets with officials for a private viewing.
“The challenge we have is that the city government does not control the courts,” Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said. “We don’t control the state laws. We don’t control, we can’t control, gun regulations and gun access.”
The United States Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, has opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols.
About 50 people, including family, friends and coworkers, attended the memorial service for Nichols at M.J. Edwards Funeral Home on the edge of Orange Mound. City pledges to release Nichols incident police body cam footage next weekRelated story:
The joint statement from Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis Tuesday, Jan. 17, came as the funeral of Tyre Nichols was underway. ‘Tyre was a man': Loved ones of Tyre Nichols demand transparency from MPDRelated story:
Cassius Bryant, 22, is the second suspect charged in the death of the University of Memphis nursing student.