(CNN) Five former Memphis Police Department officers pleaded not guilty Friday at their arraignment on criminal charges connected to the January death of Tire Nichols, whose brutal beating following a police traffic stop was caught on video.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. each facing charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
The former officers are scheduled to return to court on May 1. Their lawyers entered not guilty pleas for them. Nichols’ family members sat in the back of the courtroom with their attorney, Ben Crump.
Second-degree murder in Tennessee is considered a Class A felony punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told CNN that a challenge for prosecutors will be proving that the defendants intentionally killed Nichols — which under state law means “they acted the way they it is reasonably certain that their actions will cause death.”
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was repeatedly punched and kicked by the officers charged following a traffic stop and brief foot chase on January 7. Nichols was hospitalized after the beating and died later three days.
Mulroy said his office is still looking into “people who showed up after the beating” and “were directly or indirectly involved in the death.”
“We will do what we can as soon as I can – but thoroughly – and we will make decisions about the charges about all the people and in the future,” he said.
The five officers, who are also Black, were fired after an internal investigation and indicted on January 26.
The next day, body camera videos and surveillance footage from the arrest were released, showing the severity of the public beating and drawing widespread condemnation from residents and police officials. Protesters marched and held vigils in Memphis and other major US cities, denouncing the latest example of police brutality seen on video and calling for police reform.
The five indicted officers are part of the department’s SCORPION unit, which was launched in 2021 to increase violent crime in Memphis. Shortly after the video footage of Nichols’ arrest was released, Memphis police announced that the unit would be permanently deactivated as a sign that the department was taking “proactive steps in the recovery process for all affected,” according to a January 28 statement.
Mulroy said his office has begun reviewing previous cases involving the former SCORPION unit as well as the officers involved in Nichols’ death.
“We will also look at any case that a defense attorney brings if they have some … credible reason to think that the case might be suspicious,” Mulroy said, adding that the ” manpower issues” one worried about the “time-consuming process.”
A sixth officer was fired, others faced discipline
As the charges against the five officers continue, the fallout from the violent arrest continues for other members of law enforcement and first responders who were on the scene.
A sixth Memphis officer has been fired but has not been charged, authorities said. Additional Memphis police officers could face additional discipline, City Attorney Jennifer Sink told CNN last week.
Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who were at the scene of the arrest were found to have violated department policies and have been suspended for five days each without pay, according to a sheriff’s office statement obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ.
Three Memphis Fire Department personnel were fired for their failure to provide immediate emergency care to Nichols after the arrest, according to the fire department. In a letter to the Memphis City Council, Thomas Malone, president of the Memphis Fire Fighters Association, defended their actions, saying they “were not given enough information to dispatch or arrive at the scene.” – see.”
CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Melissa Alonso, Nick Valencia, Amanda Watts, Sharif Paget and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.
