A judge blocks the release of additional footage of the beating death of Tyre Nichols

NPR ^ | 03/08/2023 | Becjy Sullivan

[BenLurkin]

A judge in Tennessee has blocked the release of some 20 hours of additional video and audio recordings of the beating death of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers in January.

Those recordings, along with other reports and personnel files related to an administrative investigation by Memphis city officials, had been slated to be released Wednesday.

But a judge intervened to delay the planned release of the recordings and documents after a request by a defense attorney for one of the five former officers charged in Nichols' death. The records will be held until prosecutors and defense lawyers have been able to review them, the court order says.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was stopped by Memphis police as he was driving near his home on the evening of Jan. 7. Police claimed the traffic stop was for reckless driving; documents show that officers never explained the reason for the stop to Nichols.

Nichols attempted to flee on foot, but officers soon caught him and beat him severely. He died in a hospital three days later.

Soon after his death, the Memphis Police Department fired five officers involved in the beating: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, all of whom were part of a specialized unit called SCORPION, which has since been disbanded. All five former officers are Black.

Each of the five faces several felony charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. All have pleaded not guilty.

In total, 13 Memphis police officers were subject to the administrative investigation by city officials, the city's chief legal officer, Jennifer Sink, said at a city council meeting Tuesday.

In addition to the five SCORPION unit officers, another two officers have been fired, city officials said this week. Another five have been suspended, and one retired before a hearing could be conducted. Internal charges against the remaining two were dropped.

The ruling comes hours after the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would review the Memphis Police Department's use of force and de-escalation policies, following a request by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis.

The review will cover "policies, practices, training, data and processes related to MPD's use of force, de-escalation and specialized units," the DOJ said in an announcement Wednesday. A public report with its findings and recommendations will follow.

"The department is also pleased to be able to fulfill Memphis's request for technical assistance on the police department's use of force and de-escalation policies, as well as the use of specialized units," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

Separately, the DOJ said it will also review the use of specialized units within law enforcement departments nationwide, like the Memphis Police Department's SCORPION Unit, the group of some 40 officers charged with combating violent street crime that was disbanded soon after Nichols' death.

"The Justice Department has heard from police chiefs across the country who are assessing the use of specialized units and, where used, appropriate management, oversight and accountability for such units," Gupta said.

[Boogieman]

“20 hours of additional video and audio recordings of the beating...”

That’s one long beating. No wonder he didn’t survive.

[moovova]

20 hours of exculpatory video footage clearing Tyre.

Poor guy.

[ConservativeMind]

I think it was multiple cameras watching it unfold over two to three hours—not a 20 hour beating.