MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In a surprising turn of events, the federal judge overseeing the high-profile case against five former Memphis officers who were found guilty in the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols has recused himself. U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris issued a succinct order Friday, stepping away from the case just days ahead of sentencing. The matter has now been reassigned to another judge, U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman, though it remains unclear how this will impact the timing of the sentences.
Judge Norris had been involved with the proceedings since September 2023, following the federal indictments. He accepted the guilty pleas of two officers and oversaw the trial of the other three in October. Sentencing for four of the five officers was originally slated for next week, with the fifth officer’s sentencing scheduled for June 23. The clerk for Judge Norris did not immediately respond to queries, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office has refrained from commenting on the matter.
The brutal beating, which was captured on a police camera, revealed the officers forcefully removing Nichols from his vehicle, using pepper spray, and deploying a Taser on him. Nichols attempted to escape but was caught by the officers, who then delivered a series of punches, kicks, and baton strikes. During the assault, Nichols called out for his mother, mere steps from his residence. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries three days later, on January 10, 2023.
The graphic footage led to both local and national outrage, highlighting issues of police brutality and renewing demands for policing reforms. Of the five officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith—all were eventually dismissed from the force and faced charges at both the state and federal levels.
In federal court, Bean, Haley, and Smith were convicted in October for obstruction of justice due to their involvement in attempting to cover up the assault. They failed to report the physical violence inflicted on Nichols and violated department protocols by submitting misleading and inaccurate incident reports. However, Bean and Smith were cleared of more severe civil rights violations by the jury. In contrast, Haley was found guilty of infringing on Nichols’ civil rights, causing bodily harm, and conspiring to obstruct justice through witness tampering.
Sentencing dates were already planned: Bean and Smith for Monday, Haley for Tuesday, and Martin for Wednesday. Mills was scheduled for June 23. Attorneys for the officers have deferred questions concerning the judge’s recusal to the court and U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In May, a state trial jury—which was selected from Hamilton County following concerns over public bias in Shelby County—acquitted Bean, Haley, and Smith of all state charges, including second-degree murder. Meanwhile, Martin and Mills, having admitted guilt in federal court for civil rights violations and related conspiracy charges, bypassed a federal trial and managed a plea bargain to similarly avoid a state trial.
The officers were part of the ill-famed Scorpion Unit, a crime suppression team later disbanded due to the fallout from Nichols’ death. The unit, tasked with targeting drugs and firearms, faced criticism for its excessive use of force, especially against unarmed individuals.
In December, a Justice Department investigation revealed widespread issues within the Memphis Police Department, citing excessive force and systemic racial discrimination. Despite this, the subsequent administrative changes proved contentious with a prior administration retracting key findings.
Efforts are underway to induce reforms, including the hiring of a former federal judge to spearhead a task force aimed at recommending changes. Additionally, Tyre Nichols’ family has filed a $550 million lawsuit against the officers, Memphis City, and the police chief. This separate litigation is also under Judge Norris’ supervision, yet no parallel order of recusal has been filed in that case as of Friday.