Three former Memphis police officers were found to have violated department rules by failing to accurately report their use of force against Tyre Nichols on required forms submitted after the fatal beating in January 2023. During the federal criminal trial that commenced Monday, a police lieutenant, Larnce Wright, testified that the response-to-resistance forms submitted by officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith did not accurately describe the use of force, specifically omitting details about punching and kicking Nichols.
The officers face charges of depriving Nichols of his rights through excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice through witness tampering. Nichols, a Black man, died three days after the beating, which was captured on police video showing five officers — also Black — beating him as he called out for his mother. Wright stated that the reports submitted by the three officers did not align with the actions observed in the video.
Bean and Smith claimed in their reports that they used “soft hand techniques” with closed hands, a technique that Wright confirmed does not exist in department policies. Haley’s report did not mention that he was present during the beating, only stating he was at a traffic stop. Defense attorneys sought to argue that the response-to-resistance forms should not be admissible as evidence, but the judge ruled in favor of their use at trial.
Officers deployed pepper spray during the altercation with Nichols, with Haley’s attorney suggesting that his client suffered from the effects of the spray, resulting in temporary blindness and a burning sensation in the eyes. The officers were also seen in a video undergoing training where they were pepper-sprayed and instructed to strike a dummy using forceful techniques.
The trial also heard testimony regarding the officers’ obligation to use appropriate tactics when detaining suspects. Wright mentioned that officers should have utilized armbars, wrist locks, and other soft hand tactics instead of excessive force. Prosecutors alleged that the officers failed to provide necessary assistance to Nichols when his heart stopped and could have taken action to help him during crucial moments.
Nichols ultimately had no pulse for 25 minutes until it was restored at the hospital, as testified by a nurse practitioner. An autopsy report showed that Nichols died from head injuries, including brain trauma, cuts, and bruises. The five officers, who were part of the disbanded Scorpion Unit crime suppression team, were fired for violating department policies and are facing charges of second-degree murder in state court. Mills and Martin, two of the officers, are expected to change their pleas in the future trials.
