All five officers fired over the death of Tyre Nichols have been charged

All five officers who were fired from the Memphis Police Department over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died following a ‘violent’ traffic stop, have been charged.

Each of the officers  have been charged, though charges were listed for just three of them.

Justin Smith, Emmitt martin and Tadarrius Bean have been charged with two counts of official misconduct, one count of official oppression, second-degree murder, aggravated assault-act in concert and an additional two counts of aggravated kidnapping.

Charges against Demetrius Haley and Desmond Mills Jr. have not yet been made public. 

Tyre Nichols is pictured in hospital after the incident. The 29-year-old from Memphis died on January 10 from cardiac arrest and kidney failure, three days after he was pulled over for reckless driving by police in unmarked cars

All the officers, who were hired between 2017 and 2020, could face assault or homicide charges, District Attorney Steve Mulroy said (pictured L-R: Emmitt Martin II and Justin Smith)

Smith and Bean were respectively booked on $350,000 and $250,000 bonds. 

Martin was indicted and turned himself in to authorities, according to his attorney,  Bill Massey.

The Shelby County District Attorney will brief the press later this afternoon, according to Action 5 News.

Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx driver, was pulled over on January 7 by the Memphis police for what was initially reported as reckless driving.

That interaction led to a violent confrontation that put him in the hospital, where he would die three days later due to ‘extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,’ according to preliminary results of an autopsy commissioned by attorneys for his family.

He reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and kidney failure following the allegedly brutal interaction with the officers. 

This portrait of Tyre Nichols was displayed at a memorial service for him on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Family Attorney Ben Crump said police bodycam footage showed Nichols being shocked, pepper sprayed and restrained after he was pulled over minutes away from his home

The five officers were fired by the department following an internal investigation. Two EMTs with the Memphis Fire Department were also relieved of their duties pending the results of their own internal investigation.

The officers were determined to have violated multiple department policies including the excessive use of force, which in this case included shocking, pepper spraying and restraining the victim, who was mere minutes away from his home.

Last week, the US Justice Department and FBI announced the opening of a civil rights investigation into Nichols’ death.

Wednesday evening, Memphis Chief of Police CJ Davis issued a statement: ‘In light of the horrific circumstances surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols, it is absolutely incumbent upon me, your chief, to address the status of what the Memphis Police Department is doing, has done, and will continue to do in furtherance of finding truth in this tragic loss, ensuring we communicate with honesty and transparency, and that there is absolute accountability for those responsible for Tyre’s death.’