Five former Memphis police officers has recently made a court appearance following various motions filed in the case related to the death of Tyre Nichols.
The court has set a deadline of August 18 for discovery, which involves the exchange of information about witnesses and evidence to be presented during the case.
The officers, namely Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, and Desmond Mills Jr., are facing multiple felony charges including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and aggravated kidnapping. All of them have pleaded not guilty.
Nichols, aged 29, passed away three days after a violent encounter with the police that occurred during a traffic stop. The incident took place on January 10.
The Memphis Police Department released body camera footage revealing officers assaulting Nichols and using pepper spray against him. As he cried out for his mother, who resided near the location of the incident, he was subjected to mistreatment by the officers.
The video footage depicts officers surrounding Nichols while he is lying on the ground. Two officers restrain him while a third officer delivers a kick. Another officer approaches with a baton, and the officers lift Nichols from the ground, holding him up while seemingly striking him in the face and torso, as shown in the footage.
Following the incident involving Nichols’ death, the Memphis Police Department has disbanded its SCORPION Unit, the task force directly involved in the incident.
Prior to their court appearance on Friday, the legal representatives for Smith and Bean submitted motions requesting separate trials from the other officers involved.
According to the filings, Smith’s attorneys contend that he was not present at one of the two locations where video evidence has been presented. They argue that if the trials are conducted jointly, there is a risk that the jury might hold Smith partially responsible for the actions of his co-defendants.
According to the news outlet, Bean’s motion made a similar argument, stating that there were “varying responses” to the incident and that “each officer initiated different levels of physical contact with the suspect.” Bean’s attorneys expressed concern that a jury might convict him based on the actions of the other officers involved.
Attorneys representing Mills and Martin previously expressed their clients’ “devastation” regarding the charges brought against them.
In a statement, Mills’ attorney, Blake Ballin, urged the public to use “caution and patience in judging Mills’ actions.” Martin’s attorney, William Massey, acknowledged, “It’s gonna be a difficult case. No doubt about it. I’m aware of the effect that the video has, but we don’t have all of it yet.”
