5 Memphis ex-police are charged with murder and jailed over the death of Tyre Nichols

 

This combo of booking images provided by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office shows, from top row from left, 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.

Five former Memphis police officers have been indicted and jailed in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, who died days after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith each face several charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

Like Nichols, all of the fired officers are Black.

On Wednesday, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis released a video statement discussing "the horrific circumstances" of Nichols' death. She called it a professional failing and said "the incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane."

During a news conference announcing the indictments of the five officers, prosecutors gave new details about what happened during the Jan. 7 traffic stop.

Defense attorneys say they have not yet seen the video of Nichols' arrest

The attorneys told reporters there are two sides to every story.

Defense attorney Blake Ballin, who represents Desmond Mills Jr, describes Mills as a "gentle, respectful father" and that he's "devastated to be charged himself with a crime." He also said that Mills has dedicated his life to protecting his community and to be accused in the death of someone is "devastating."

Attorney William Massey, who is representing Emmitt Martin III, told reporters that neither he nor Ballin has seen the body camera videos yet, adding that anytime an officer goes to jail is a "traumatic event."

Police body camera footage is expected to be made public in the coming days

Family members and supporters hold a photograph of Tyre Nichols at a news conference in Memphis, Tenn., earlier this week.

Body camera footage of the incident has been shown to Nichols' family but has not been made public. Authorities said told reporters Thursday they will release it sometime Friday after 6 p.m. local time.

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office said in its statement it understood the "reasonable request from the public" to view the video of Nichols' death. The office said it was working to determine how quickly it could release the footage.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden released a statement Thursday afternoon, extending condolences to Nichols' family and the Memphis community.

"Tyre's family deserves a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his death," Biden said, as he pointed out that the fatal encounters with law enforcement continue to disparately impact Black and brown people.

"To deliver real change, we must have accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we need to build lasting trust between law enforcement, the vast majority of whom wear the badge honorably, and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect," Biden added.

In anticipation of the video's release, NAACP President Derrick Johnson released a statement calling on Congress to take action against police reform.

"Our country is once again bracing for the release of another traumatizing video of yet another police killing. If anyone needs to see this video, it's every single leader in congress," Johnson said in his statement.