Ex-Memphis officers charged with civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols killing

The Justice Department on Tuesday filed federal criminal charges against five former Memphis police officers, accusing them of violating the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died after being severely beaten during a traffic stop in January.

The four-count indictment represents the latest in a series of punitive actions against the former officers, who already face state murder charges, and the Memphis Police Department, which is undergoing a sweeping federal civil investigation over its culture, training and policies.

Federal authorities are accusing Emmitt Martin III, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith of using excessive force and violating Nichols’s rights, as well as conspiring to make false statements to supervisors while reporting the incidents and obstructing justice during subsequent investigations.

Nichols, 29, was beaten by several Memphis officers on Jan. 7 and died three days later of his injuries in an incident caught on police surveillance and body-camera footage that was released to the public amid a widespread outcry.

“The country watched in horror as Tyre Nichols was kicked, punched, tased, and pepper sprayed, and we all heard Mr. Nichols cry out for his mother and say ‘I’m just trying to go home,’ ” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Tuesday.

“Officers who violate the civil rights of those they are sworn to protect undermine public safety, which depends on the community’s trust in law enforcement. They dishonor their fellow officers who do their work with integrity every day,” Garland said. “The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable officers who betray their oath.”