Five Former Memphis Police Officers Charged with Murder

Five former Memphis Police officers face murder charges for the death of Tyre Nichols on Jan 10.

Details: Nichols died at St. Francis Hospital three days after an incident involving the officers. According to Memphis Police, the officers pulled Nichols over for “reckless driving.” After a “confrontation” during the stop, Nichols reportedly fled on foot, leading to another confrontation that reportedly is documented on footage from a body camera worn by one of the officers. Nichols' family viewed the footage earlier this week, and the video is expected to be released to the public in the coming days. City officials are warning citizens to remain peaceful in the expected protests.

Key Quotes: Attorneys for Nichols’s family stated that “Tyre suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said Wednesday that the incident is “not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual.” Davis expects “our citizens to exercise their First Amendment right to protest, to demand action and results, but we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”

How The Media Covered It: The New York Times published a profile of Nichols. A Reuters article characterized Nichols as a black man but did not label the race of the police officers, all of whom are black, but included pictures of them. The Reuters article also concluded with a note stating that Nichols’ final words were reportedly his mother’s name.