New sentencing dates set for 5 former Memphis, Tennessee, officers in Tyre Nichols case
During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman said the five officers would be sentenced the week of December 15. However, she noted those dates could change or be canceled depending on how she rules on several sealed motions, including one for a new trial for three of the men.
Lipman said she could rule on the pending motions by mid-September.
U.S. District Judge Mark Norris issued a terse order on June 13 saying he was recusing himself, just days before he was supposed to sentence the officers. He offered no further explanation, and the reason for his recusal has not been made public. Lipman was added to the case the same day.
Norris later recused himself from a $550 million lawsuit filed by Nichols' mother against the city of Memphis, the police chief and the officers. Lipman also took over that case.
Norris had overseen the case since federal indictments were issued in September 2023. He accepted guilty pleas from two of the officers and presided over the trial for the others in October.
A flurry of motions were filed under seal after the recusal, including a request by defense attorneys seeking a new trial. It was not clear if any of those filings asked for Norris to step away from the case. It is unusual for a judge to recuse themself from a case between the trial and sentencing.
The city of Memphis and its police chief, and the Daily Memphian news outlet, have filed motions to unseal the documents.
On January 7, 2023, the officers yanked Nichols from his car, then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who also are Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place just steps from his home.
Nichols died January 10, 2023.
Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries — video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis.
The beating also sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reform. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired from the police force and indicted in state and federal court.
Bean, Haley and Smith were found guilty in federal court in October of obstruction of justice through witness tampering related to an attempt to cover up the beating.
The officers failed to say that they or their colleagues punched and kicked Nichols and broke Memphis Police Department rules when they did not include complete and accurate statements about what type of force they used.
Bean and Smith were acquitted of more serious civil rights charges by the federal jury. Haley was found guilty of violating Nichols' civil rights by causing bodily injury and showing deliberate indifference to medical needs. He was also convicted of conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.
Bean, Haley and Smith were acquitted in May of all state charges, including second-degree murder.
Martin and Mills pleaded guilty in federal court last year to violating Nichols' civil rights by causing death and conspiracy to witness tamper. They did not stand trial in federal court with their former colleagues. Martin and Mills also avoided the trial in state court after reaching agreements to plead guilty there. Both Martin and Mills testified in the federal trial, and Mills also took the stand in the state trial.
The officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that was disbanded weeks after Nichols died. The team targeted illegal drugs and guns and violent offenders, and sometimes used force against unarmed people.
In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The investigation also found that the police department conducts unlawful stops, searches, and arrests.
In May, the Trump administration announced it was retracting the findings of Justice Department civil rights investigations of police departments, including Memphis, that were issued under the Biden administration.
The city has created a task force to address police department reforms. The task force has not announced any recommendations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
a few seconds ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tottenham condemns racist abuse of Mathys Tel after UEFA Super Cup
LONDON (AP) — Tottenham has slammed the "cowards" who racially abused French forward Mathys Tel after the team's loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup after a penalty shootout. The 20-year-old Tel, who is Black, was one of two Tottenham players who failed to convert their penalties as they lost the shootout 4-3 to PSG after a 2-2 draw. 'We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night's UEFA Super Cup defeat," Tottenham said in a statement. 'Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards — hiding behind anonymous user names and profiles to spout their abhorrent views." Tottenham said the club will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take 'the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify.' 'We stand with you, Mathys,' Spurs added. Tel, who joined the team on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich in the offseason after a loan spell last season, went on as a substitute in the 79th minute when Tottenham was 2-0 ahead. He hit his shootout penalty wide. ___
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
DC residents protest as White House says federal agents will be on patrol 24/7
Residents in one Washington, DC, neighborhood lined up Wednesday to protest the increased police presence after the White House said the number of National Guard troops in the nation's capital would ramp up and federal officers would be on the streets around the clock. After law enforcement set up a vehicle checkpoint along the busy 14th Street Northwest corridor, hecklers shouted, 'Go home, fascists' and 'Get off our streets.' Some protesters stood at the intersection before the checkpoint and urged drivers to turn away from it. The action intensified a few days after President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the city's police department for at least a month. 10 Protesters take to the streets holding signs near a traffic checkpoint run by Homeland Security agents and Washington Metropolitan Police officers along 14th Street in northwest Washington, DC, on Aug. 13, 2025. AP The city's Democratic mayor walked a political tightrope, referring to the takeover as an 'authoritarian push' at one point and later framing the infusion of officers as boost to public safety, though one with few specific barometers for success. The Republican president has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix — even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago. For two days, small groups of federal officers had been visible in scattered areas of the city. But more were present in high-profile locations Wednesday and troops were expected to start doing more missions in Washington on Thursday, according to a National Guard spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the planning process. On Wednesday, agents from Homeland Security Investigations patrolled the popular U Street corridor. Drug Enforcement Administration officers were seen on the National Mall, while National Guard members were parked nearby. 10 Federal agents and DC Metro Police conduct a traffic checkpoint on Aug. 13, 2025. AP 10 Protesters yell at federal agents on 14th Street during a joint checkpoint operation. AP DEA agents also joined Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Navy Yard neighborhood, while FBI agents stood along the heavily trafficked Massachusetts Avenue. Hundreds of federal law enforcement and city police officers who patrolled the streets Tuesday night made 43 arrests, compared with about two dozen the night before. DC Councilmember Christina Henderson downplayed the arrest reports as 'a bunch of traffic stops' and said the administration was seeking to disguise how unnecessary this federal intervention is. 'I'm looking at this list of arrests and they sound like a normal Saturday night in any big city,' said Henderson. 10 A protester holds up a white sign that reads 'ICE' warning drivers of a traffic checkpoint up the road. AP 10 Metropolitan police detain a driver during the joint checkpoint on Aug. 13, 2025, on 14th Street in Washington, DC. AP Unlike in other US states and cities, the law gives Trump the power to take over Washington's police for up to 30 days. Extending his power over the city for longer would require approval from Congress, and that could be tough in the face of Democratic resistance. Trump suggested he could seek a longer period of control or decide to call on Congress to exercise authority over city laws his administration sees as lax on crime. 'We're gonna do this very quickly. But we're gonna want extensions. I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will,' he said. 10 Metro Police and Homeland Security Investigations agents search the vehicle of a person detained during a traffic stop in Washington DC. REUTERS 10 A driver is handcuffed by Metro Transit police during a traffic stop for a driver's license issue. REUTERS Later, on his Truth Social site, Trump reiterated his claims about the capital, writing, 'DC has been under siege from thugs and killers, but now, DC is back under Federal Control where it belongs.' Henderson, who worked for Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York before running for the DC Council, said she was already in touch with 'friends on the Hill' to rally opposition for any Trump extension request. She added, 'It's Day Three and he's already saying he's going to need more time?' Targeting a variety of infractions The arrests made by 1,450 federal and local officers across the city included those for suspicion of driving under the influence and unlawful entry, as well as a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon, according to the White House. Seven illegal firearms were seized. 10 National Guard members gather at the US Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility after their deployment in Washington DC on Aug. 13, 2025. REUTERS There have now been more than 100 arrests since Trump began beefing up the federal law enforcement presence in Washington last week, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. 'President Trump is delivering on his campaign promise to clean up this city and restore American Greatness to our cherished capital,' she said. The president has full command of the National Guard and has activated up to 800 troops to support law enforcement, though exactly what form remains to be determined. Neither Army nor District of Columbia National Guard officials have been able to describe the training backgrounds of the troops who have so far reported for duty. While some members are military police, others likely hold jobs that would have offered them little training in dealing with civilians or law enforcement. The federalization push also includes clearing out encampments for people who are homeless, Trump has said. US Park Police have removed dozens of tents since March, and plan to take out two more this week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said. People are offered the chance to go to shelters and get addiction treatment, if needed, but those who refuse could be fined or jailed, she said. City officials said they are making more shelter space available and increasing their outreach. 10 Police officers search the bag of a driver detained during a traffic stop. REUTERS 10 Metropolitan Police and Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents set up a traffic checkpoint along 14th Street on Aug. 13, 2025. AP Violent crime has dropped in the district The federal effort comes even after a drop in violent crime in the nation's capital, a trend that experts have seen in cities across the US since an increase during the coronavirus pandemic. On average, the level of violence Washington remains mostly higher than averages in three dozen cities analyzed by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice, said the group's president and CEO, Adam Gelb. Police Chief Pamela Smith said during an interview with the local Fox affiliate that the city's Metro Police Department has been down nearly 800 officers. She said the increased number of federal agents on the streets would help fill that gap, at least for now. Mayor Muriel Bowser said city officials did not get any specific goals for the surge during a meeting with Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, and other top federal law enforcement officials Tuesday. But, she said, 'I think they regard it as a success to have more presence and take more guns off the street, and we do too.' She had previously called Trump's moves 'unsettling and unprecedented' while pointing out he was within a president's legal rights regarding the district, which is the seat of American government but is not a state. For some residents, the increased presence of law enforcement and National Guard troops is nerve-wracking. 'I've seen them right here at the subway … they had my street where I live at blocked off yesterday, actually,' Washington native Sheina Taylor said. 'It's more fearful now because even though you're a law-abiding citizen, here in DC, you don't know, especially because I'm African American.'
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
US fugitive Nicholas Rossi accused of faking his death to avoid rape charges is found guilty of sexual assault in Utah
A Rhode Island man accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to evade rape charges was found guilty Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in his first of two Utah trials. A jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a 2008 rape after a three-day trial in which his accuser and her parents took the stand. 3 Nicholas Rossi appears at a jury trial in Salt Lake City, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. AP Advertisement The verdict came hours after Rossi, 38, declined to testify on his own behalf. He will be sentenced in the case on Oct. 20 and is set to stand trial in September for another rape charge in Utah County. An obituary published online claimed Rossi had died on Feb. 29, 2020, of late-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Advertisement But police in his home state of Rhode Island, along with his former lawyer and a former foster family, cast doubt on whether he was dead. He was arrested in Scotland the following year while receiving treatment for COVID-19 after hospital staff in Glasgow recognized his distinctive tattoos from an Interpol notice. 3 Rossi leaves the Edinburgh Sheriff and Justice Of The Peace Court after an extradition hearing in Edinburgh on July 12, 2022. AP 3 Rossi is accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to avoid rape charges. Pawtucket Police Department Advertisement He was extradited to Utah in January 2024 after losing an extradition appeal in which he claimed he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who was being framed.
