Here is a chronological sequence of the occurrences preceding and encompassing his demise.
Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old African American male, was stopped by law enforcement for suspected dangerous driving.
As per RowVaughn Wells, Tyre’s mother, Tyre was just 2 minutes away from his residence when he was stopped by the authorities.
Nichols, who fled, was approached by Memphis officers, officials stated. Nichols was chased by officers after his escape and subsequently apprehended, according to the police.
The attorneys for the Nichols’ family said that the body camera footage of the incident shows that Nichols did not originally run when being approached by officers. According to the video, Nichols yelled for his mother three times towards the end of the footage and he told the police that he was just trying to get home from his work at FedEx.
He attempts to escape by running away with a gun, pretending to be one of the officers. Despite the officers yelling at him and holding him on the ground, Nichols remains calm. The body camera footage shows an initial altercation where Officer Nichols warns various officers, “I’m going to tase you” and “I’m going to beat you.”
In the footage captured by the body camera, Nichols can be observed lying on the floor with a number of officers gathered around him. Two officers restrain him while a third officer delivers a kick. Subsequently, the officers lift Nichols from the ground and support him as they seemingly hit him in the face and upper body. Another officer approaches with a baton.
As Nichols falls to his knees, it seems that he leans over and kneels down while several officers stand a few feet away, appearing to lean and kneel over him. Eventually, they begin to step away, dragging him into the street against a car, as he leans up against it with his hands behind his back. From the first kick, Nichols is on the ground for about three minutes, while one officer kicks him at least once. Another officer appears to lean over and kneel down while several officers stand a few feet away, as he leans and kneels over him.
An ambulance arrives in front of Nichols, leaning over to allow the EMTs to appear several minutes later. Before the officers attempt to render aid, it takes roughly 20 minutes for Nichols to slump next to the car.
The footage shows Nichols beating officers and using pepper spray as he begins yelling for his mother, who lived nearby, while he can be heard screaming “mom” at least three times. The officers yell at Nichols multiple times to give them his hands, and the officer can be seen striking him with the baton, saying “f- the baton I’ma out of you” before appearing to pull Nichols back on three separate occasions.
As per authorities, Nichols was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Memphis by ambulance in a critical state following the occurrence. He expressed experiencing difficulty in breathing.
The TBI stated that TBI special agents carried out the investigation into the use of force, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office was informed about Nichols’ state.
The Memphis Police Department stated that the officers implicated in the incident would be regularly suspended from their duties until the investigation by the TBI concludes.
January 10: The Passing of Tyre Nichols
Nichols passed away three days after being apprehended by the Memphis authorities.
January 18: Commencement of Federal Investigations
Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced that the FBI and DOJ are investigating the incident.
Ritz stated, “The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently being publicly announced by state authorities.” The United States Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, “has initiated a civil rights inquiry,” as well.”
January 20: The termination of Memphis law enforcement officers
The Memphis Police Department declared that it terminated five police officers after conducting an inquiry into the demise of Nichols.
The officers were identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. And Justin Smith. All of them are Black men.
The department has announced that, following a comprehensive examination of the situation, five MPD officers have been found to have breached various department policies, such as the excessive utilization of force, obligation to intervene, and responsibility to provide assistance.
January 23: Family recounts body camera footage
The video recording of Nichols’ interaction with five Memphis police officers was watched by Nichols’ relatives and lawyers.
According to Ben Crump, legal counsel for the Nichols family, they characterized the video as “shocking,” “repugnant,” “atrocious,” “aggressive,” and “problematic in every aspect.”
Antonio Romanucci, another lawyer representing the family, expressed, “Throughout the incident, he was completely vulnerable and defenseless.” “To those law enforcement officers, he was treated like a human piñata. This young boy endured an unfiltered, shameless, relentless beating for a duration of 3 minutes.” Romanucci also pointed out that Nichols, who passed away on January 10, was subjected to kicks in the recorded footage.
Nichols repeatedly inquired, “What actions did I undertake?” As the family claimed they witnessed the police engage in kicking, employing pepper spray, and utilizing a stun gun on their offspring.
According to an official statement, WATN Affiliate ABC is currently being investigated for their role in the incident, and two employees involved in the initial care of patient Nichols have been relieved of their duties, as announced by officials from the Memphis Fire Department this week.
January 26: Autopsy Conducted Independently Revealed, Officers Facing Charges
“Mulroy Steve, an attorney in Shelby County, has been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping resulting in bodily injury, and possession of an unauthorized weapon through official misconduct. They are currently in custody and facing multiple charges.”
All five officials subsequently entered a plea of not guilty on February 17th.
According to the family, a private autopsy revealed that Nichols experienced “extensive hemorrhaging resulting from a brutal assault,” conducted by a forensic pathologist employed by the family’s legal representatives.
“The family of Tyre Nichols and their legal representatives stated that additional information and discoveries from this separate investigation will be revealed at a later date. They mentioned that the visible wounds align with what the family and attorneys observed in the footage of his tragic altercation with the police on January 7th.”
Police Chief Cerelyn Davis of Memphis called the actions of the officers “heinous,” adding that the footage from the body camera will be released in the coming days for you to see yourselves.
“Chief Davis cautions that none of this serves as a provocation for promoting violence, but she foresees demonstrations in response to the video’s publication and predicts widespread anger.”
January 27: Video from body cameras made public, Shelby County deputies dismissed from their posts
Memphis authorities released the video of Nichols’ encounter with law enforcement.
The city of Memphis shared four videos on Vimeo.
The city released videos from three bodyworn cameras, along with a pole camera, totaling approximately 67 minutes.
The videos included the caution: “Footage contains explicit content and language. Some may find it offensive. Viewer discretion is advised.”.
The utilization of a baton, encompassing the strike, strike, and punch by multiple of the law enforcement officials, demonstrates that Nichols is present in a city surveillance video clip.
Another recording is footage from body-worn cameras, which displays the officers assaulting Nichols.
Beside a car, the video subsequently records Nichols collapsed on the floor. On multiple occasions, Nichols’ voice can be heard shouting “mother” in a separate video that emphasizes the audio.
President Joe Biden, in reaction to the video, expressed, “It serves as another distressing recollection of the intense dread and distress, the agony, and the weariness that Black and brown Americans undergo on a daily basis. Similar to numerous others, I was filled with anger and profound sorrow upon witnessing the horrifying footage of the assault which led to the demise of Tyre Nichols.”
The video prompted demonstrations throughout the nation.
An internal investigation has also been launched into the two deputies who appeared on the scene and relieved them of their duties pending the findings of the investigation, as per the Sheriff of Shelby County, Jr. Bonner Floyd.
January 30: Authorities declare 2 additional officers discharged from service, 3 Memphis FD personnel terminated.
Based on information from the Memphis police, a continuous inquiry led to the suspension of duty for Preston Hemphill, a police officer from Memphis who was part of the Tyre Nichols traffic stop, along with another officer whose identity remains unknown.
As reported by the Memphis Police Department, Hemphill, who is of Caucasian descent, along with the other officer, were dismissed from their positions on January 8th. Subsequently, Hemphill was terminated on February 3rd.
During the confrontation, Hemphill purportedly utilized his Taser. Nichols is observed pursuing Hemphill along the road in his personal body camera footage, but subsequently returns to the location of the original traffic stop.
Hemphill was captured on his body camera footage uttering twice, “I wish they crush him completely.”.
Additionally, the Memphis Fire Department has announced that three members who had been terminated were also dispatched to the scene in an ambulance after the beating.
Lt. Michelle Whitaker, who was present in the initial ambulance at the location, was also dismissed. The fire department took action against EMTs Robert Long and JaMicheal Sandridge, who were responsible for evaluating Nichols at the scene, as they were terminated for their failure to perform a satisfactory examination of Mr. Nichols.
February 3: Memphis Police Department terminates caucasian officer who encountered Nichols.
The Memphis Police Department stated that it terminated Hemphill for breaching several police protocols during his altercation with Nichols.
This encompassed individual behavior, honesty, and a breach for failing to utilize the TASER in accordance with regulations, law enforcement stated.
February 7: City’s Chief Legal Officer Says Seven More Memphis Police Officers May Face Consequences
On Tuesday, ABC News reported that Jennifer Sink, the chief legal officer of the city, said that seven additional police officers in Memphis could face disciplinary action in connection with the incident.
Officials stated that the extra officers would be given a “charge statement,” which informs an officer of a policy infringement before an administrative hearing and determination regarding consequences.
The administrative investigation is still ongoing, and therefore, this information is subject to change, as stated in a statement. The administrative investigation solely determines if city policies were violated and what disciplinary actions should be taken.
Feb. 7: Ex-Memphis cop sent picture of bruised Nichols via text, according to state documents.
One of the former officers from Memphis, who was charged in connection with Nichols’ death, was handcuffed and had his photo taken after multiple people texted state records that were newly obtained.
According to the report, a document from the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission acquired by ABC News reveals that Demetrius Haley captured two images on his private mobile device of the visibly wounded Nichols after he was placed under arrest. As stated in the document, he confessed to sending a photograph in a text to five individuals – a non-military staff member, two officers from the Memphis police force, and a “female associate” – while an internal inquiry discovered that a sixth individual also received the identical picture.
As per the document, officers are prohibited from disclosing information pertaining to official police matters, unless authorized or subpoenaed, which goes against a Memphis Police regulation concerning confidential information.
The paperwork was a component of the procedure to revoke Haley and the four other ex-officers accused of second-degree murder.
March 7: Seventh Memphis PD officer fired
Jennifer Sink, the legal chief of Memphis, informed the city councilmembers that Nichols, the seventh officer involved in the encounter, was terminated.
The officer’s identity was not disclosed right away.
According to Sink, another officer was going to be fired instead of resigned, and three other officers were suspended and terminated from their positions. Sink stated that 13 police officers in Memphis were administratively charged in the incident.
Sink mentioned that two of the officers who faced administrative charges had their accusations dismissed.
September 12: 5 ex-officers charged with federal offenses
Based on court documents, Martin, Mills, Smith, Haley, and Bean were accused of engaging in actions that violated individuals’ rights under the guise of legal authority. These actions involved the use of excessive force, failure to intervene, showing deliberate disregard, and conspiring to tamper with witnesses.
The five defendants allegedly failed to relay information about their assault to the paramedics, EMTs, or their supervisor, said the indictment coming to the scene to the dispatcher of the Memphis PD.
According to the indictment, it is alleged that they restricted the collection of evidence by utilizing their body-worn cameras. The indictment claims that Nichols’ assault was not recorded because Martin supposedly relocated his body camera, and after the group assaulted Nichols, Haley and Smith only turned on their cameras, as per the indictment.
Meredith Deliso and Alexander Malin from ABC News contributed to this report.