Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist, died as a result of injuries he received in a violent altercation that followed a traffic stop, according to prosecutors, who charged five former Memphis police officers with murder on Thursday.

Three days after the altercation during his arrest by the five police officers, Tyre Nichols, passed away while being treated in the hospital on January 10.

Police body-worn camera footage of the incident, which a lawyer representing Nichols’ family compared to the infamous videotape of Black motorist Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers more than 30 years ago, was due for release on Friday, according to officials.

At a news conference where the charges were revealed, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy remarked, “We’re here today because of a tragedy that deeply hurts one family but also hurts us all.”

Second-Degree Murder

According to Mulroy, the five Black cops were each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith were named as the accused by the Memphis Police Department on Friday. Each one of them worked for the department for roughly two and a half to five years, and their ages range from 24 to 32.

They were fired from the force last Saturday as a result of various departmental policy violations, including the use of excessive force, neglecting to intervene, and failing to offer aid. This was discovered during an internal inquiry. County jail records showed that they were arrested on Thursday morning.

Nichols’ Tragic Encounter

According to Mulroy, when Nichols was stopped, there was “an altercation” in which police deployed pepper spray on the driver and Nichols attempted to run away on foot.

The prosecutor claimed that Mr. Nichols suffered his serious injuries after “another altercation at a neighbouring place.” Nichols “complained of experiencing a shortness of breath,” according to the initial Memphis Police Department statement about the death, and an ambulance was called. Nichols was then brought to a hospital in critical condition.

Published by HOLR Magazine.