Death of Tyre Nichols

Five former Memphis police officers are now facing federal civil rights charges in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second-degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.

Former Memphis police officers Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Justin Smith, and Desmond Mills can no longer work in law enforcement in Tennessee.

The Memphis officer was allowed to retire with his pension and other benefits a day before a hearing to fire him.

A seventh Memphis Police Department employee has been fired for his role in the fatal arrest of Tyre Nichols, while an eighth police employee retired.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith made their first court appearances on Friday in Nichols’ violent arrest and death.

The Memphis police chief has said she saw no justification in video of the incident for pulling Tyre Nichols over in the first place.

The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.

Tyre Nichols' family and friends remembered him with songs of faith and emotional tributes Wednesday, blending a celebration of his life with outraged calls for police reform after the brutal beating he endured at the hands of Memphis police.

Memphis police say two more officers involved in the arrest, beating and death of Tyre Nichols have been disciplined.

Tyre Nichols' case exposes an uncomfortable truth: More than two years since the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks touched off protests, policing reforms have not significantly reduced such killings.

The five disgraced former Memphis Police Department officers, who are also Black, have been fired and charged with murder and other crimes in Nichols’ death three days after the arrest.

Tyre Nichols was arrested by the so-called Scorpion unit, which has three teams of about 30 street officers who target violent offenders in high-crime areas.

Massive crowds gathered following the release of body cam video showing Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police officers.