Latest news with #TyreNichols'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Tyre Nichols' family calls for justice on his 32nd birthday
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tyre Nichols' family is still calling for justice while celebrating what would have been his 32nd birthday on Thursday. Two years since his passing, his family said the pain of loss is still strong, but his mother was trying to set it aside. 'When I woke up that pain went away. I don't know if it was my son telling me, 'Mama, let's just celebrate the day,'' said RowVaughn Wells, Tyre Nichols' mother. Next step for Tyre Nichols' family: $550M civil lawsuit that could bankrupt city 'We don't have a lot to say because we want to celebrate our son's– what would have been our son's 32nd birthday,' said Rodney Wells, Nichols' stepfather. A crowd of people gathered near the I AM A MAN PLAZA in honor of Tyre. 'To the city leadership, you just lose credibility until you do right by Tyre,' said Ben Crump, Nichols' family attorney. Jury finds three ex-officers not guilty in Tyre Nichols death trial Later this month, five former Memphis Police officers are set to be sentenced for their federal convictions in Nichols' death. Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were both found guilty of obstruction in the case, and they will appear in court on June 16. Demetrius Haley was found guilty on four counts in federal court, and Desmond Mills, who took a guilty plea deal, is set to appear for sentencing on June 17. City of Memphis disputes insurance claims in Tyre Nichols case Emmitt Martin, who also took a guilty plea deal, will stand in front of a judge on June 18. Community organizers and activists said it is past time for people to pay attention, especially as the City of Memphis is in budget talks. 'Meanwhile, library services have a proposed budget of $25 million, parks and services have a proposed budget of $28 million,' said Amber Sherman, community organizer. 'I don't understand how we will make every other department prove that they deserve the money they are getting.' All five officers were convicted of different crimes and face prison sentences from 15 to 40 years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
MPD: Fake officer takes car during Midtown home invasion
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Midtown woman says a man pretending to be a police officer kicked in her front door, ransacked her place, and left with her car. It happened around 5 p.m. Saturday at Courtyard Apartments at Poplar Avenue and Bellevue Boulevard. The victim told investigators that a man she didn't know broke into her apartment, entered her bedroom, pointed a gun at her, and identified himself as a police officer. She said the intruder demanded the keys to her 2025 Toyota Corolla and left. Tyre Nichols' family condemns 'wanted' posters for acquitted officers According to police, the victim tracked the Corolla to the 800 block of Orange Mound, where officers saw Marcus Talley, 45, get inside the vehicle. Police said they also recovered a handgun from the car. Talley was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, criminal impersonation, and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Court records show Talley was convicted of aggravated robbery in 2007. Talley is locked up on a $300,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tyre Nichols case: How we got here
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A jury brought in from the Chattanooga area came to a verdict of not guilty Wednesday on all seven criminal charges for three ex-Memphis Police officers accused in Tyre Nichols' death in 2023. NOT GUILTY: Jury reaches verdict for officers in Tyre Nichols death How did we get here? The traffic stop that led to Tyre Nichols' death happened Jan. 7, 2023, when video shows officers punching and kicking Nichols on the ground near his family's southeast Memphis home. He died in a hospital three days later. On Jan. 20, five Memphis Police officers were fired: Desmond Mills, Emmitt Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. Dashcam and SkyCop video of the beating was released to the public Jan. 27. The Scorpion Unit the officers were part of was disbanded by MPD the next day. On Oct. 2, 2024, a federal jury released a mixed verdict for the officers, finding them guilty on some charges and not guilty on others. The state criminal trial for Bean, Haley and Smith began April 28. The jury began deliberating Tuesday. Nichols' family still has a $550 million civil lawsuit pending against the city of Memphis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 Memphis Police Officers Acquitted on All State Charges in Connection with Tyre Nichols' Beating Death
Tyre Nichols' brutal beating death in 2023 was caught on camera Five Memphis officers had been charged in connection with his death Two of them had pleaded guilty to state and federal charges stemming from the killing Three officers who were present during the brutal killing of a Tennessee man have been found not guilty on all state charges, including murder, stemming from the 2023 case. Justin Smith, Demetrius Haley and Tadarrius Bean were among five officers charged in Nichols' brutal beating outside his mother's home in January 2023. A jury acquitted them on Wednesday, May 7, following a trial in Memphis, Tenn., the Associated Press reported. Nichols, a 29-year-old aspiring photographer who loved skateboarding, was stopped by officers for alleged reckless driving on Jan. 7, 2023. However, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis would claim to CNN soon afterwards they were unable to "substantiate" the reckless driving allegation. facebook Tyre Nichols Former Memphis officer Desmond Mills Jr., one of two officers who pleaded guilty to state charges, testified for the prosecution, per AP. Officers were caught on camera allegedly beating Nichols and laughing as he lay struggling, per the AP. Related: Tyre Nichols' Last 3 Words Were, 'Mom, Mom. Mom,' Says Lawyer, as Family Calls for Peaceful Protests Footage of Nichols' killing, which was released by Memphis officials, sparked massive protests across the country. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The officers had been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, multiple counts of misconduct and official oppression. While they were acquitted on the state charges, Smith, Haley and Bean are awaiting sentencing on their conviction on federal charges last year, per AP. Read the original article on People
Toronto Sun
03-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Expert testifies that repeated strikes to Tyre Nichols' head were unnecessary and excessive
Published May 03, 2025 • 3 minute read In this photo provided by WREG, Tyre Nichols' stepfather Rodney Wells, center, stands next to a photo of Nichols in the hospital after his arrest, during a protest in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Photo by Jordan James / WREG via AP MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A police training expert testifying Saturday as a defence witness in the trial of three former Memphis officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols acknowledged that kicks and punches to Nichols' head were unnecessary and excessive. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Don Cameron took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who have pleaded not guilty to state charges including second-degree murder. They already face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, fled a January 2023 traffic stop after he was yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and hit with a Taser. Five officers who are also Black caught up with him and punched, kicked and hit Nichols with a police baton, struggling to handcuff him as he called out for his mother near his home. Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled. His death led to nationwide protests, calls for police reforms in the U.S., and intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, a majority-Black city. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The officers are charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Prosecutors have argued that the officers used excessive force in trying to handcuff Nichols. The officers also had a duty to intervene and stop the beating and tell medical personnel that Nichols had been struck in the head, but they failed to do so, prosecutors say. Former Memphis officers Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin also were charged in the case. They have agreed to plead guilty to the state charges and are not standing trial. They also pleaded guilty in federal court, where sentencing for all five officers is pending. Defence attorneys have sought to chip away at accusations that the officers used unnecessary force to subdue Nichols. They have argued that Nichols was actively resisting arrest by running away and failing to give his hands to officers so that he could be handcuffed. They also have argued that their use of force complied with police department policies. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cameron was called to the stand by the defence lawyer for Haley, who was at the traffic stop and arrived at the location of the beating after Martin kicked and punched Nichols in the head as Nichols was being held by Smith and Bean. Cameron said Nichols had not yet been handcuffed and Haley used proper force in kicking Nichols once in the arm. The veteran police trainer said Haley kicked Nichols in order to facilitate the handcuffing of Nichols by the other officers. However, under cross-examination by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, Cameron acknowledged that the punches and kicks by Martin to Nichols' head were unnecessary, excessive and an example of deadly force. Officers who saw those head blows had a duty to intervene and stop the beating at that point, Cameron said. The prosecutor also asked Cameron about Haley's comment to 'beat that man' as he got out of his car and approached Nichols. Cameron said he believed Haley made the comment in order to get Nichols to comply with being handcuffed after Nichols repeatedly ignored expletive-laced orders to do so. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The defence has said that the officers' vision was impaired because of the repeated deployment of pepper spray. Martin Zummach, Smith's lawyer, asked Cameron if officers have a duty intervene if they don't actually see unnecessary force being applied. 'If they can't see it, they can't intervene,' Cameron said. Mills, who hit Nichols three times with a police baton, testified Tuesday that he regrets his failure to stop the beating, which led to Nichols' death three days later from blunt-force trauma. Dr. Marco Ross, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, testified Wednesday that Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain. The five officers were part of a crime suppression team called the Scorpion Unit that since has been disbanded. The team targeted drugs, illegal guns and violent offenders with the goal of amassing arrests, while sometimes using force against unarmed people The trial comes months after the U.S. Justice Department said in December that a 17-month investigation found that the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Canada
