TBI use-of-force case leads to indictments, arrests
This combo of images provided by the Memphis Police Department shows, from top row from left, officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row, from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. The five former Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in the arrest and death of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist who died three days after a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop, records showed Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Memphis Police Department via AP)
Five former officers from the Memphis Police Department are facing felony charges following an independent use-of-force investigation by the TBI.
On January 8th, at the request of 30th Judicial District Attorney General Steve Mulroy, TBI agents began investigating the circumstances surrounding the attempted arrest of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, which occurred the previous evening.
The first encounter occurred at approximately 8:22 p.m. during a traffic stop at the intersections of Raines and Ross Roads, in which evidence shows Nichols ran from officers during a physical altercation. A second encounter occurred a short time later around Castlegate Lane and Bear Creek Cove, which also included a physical encounter, after which Nichols, was hospitalized in Memphis with critical injuries.
On January 10th, doctors pronounced him deceased.
During the investigation, agents gathered evidence identifying 24-year-old Tadarrius Bean, 30-year-old Demetrius Haley, 30-year-old Emmitt Martin III, 32-year-old Desmond Mills, Jr., and 28-year-old Justin Smith as the men who caused Nichols’ injuries.
On Thursday, a Shelby County Grand Jury returned indictments, charging all five men with seven counts each: Second Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping with Bodily Injury, Aggravated Kidnapping in Possession of a Deadly Weapon, Official Misconduct, Official Misconduct – Refrain, and Official Oppression.
All five surrendered to TBI agents Thursday morning, after which authorities booked them into the Shelby County Jail. Bond is set at $350,000 for Haley and Martin, and $250,000 for Bean, Mills, and Smith.
This remains an ongoing investigation.
