The five former Memphis, Tennessee police officers charged in the death of Tire Nichols have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith appeared in court Friday with their attorneys, who pleaded not guilty on their behalf.
The officers were fired on January 20 and charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression, and one count of aggravated assault.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, were also present in court with their lawyer Ben Crump.
In a post-hearing news conference, Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said the officers didn’t have the courage to meet her eyes during the hearing, but “they’re going to see me at every court date. everyone, until we get justice for my son.”
“I feel very numb right now,” Wells said. “And I’m waiting for this nightmare basically that I’m going through right now, I’m waiting for someone to wake me up. I know that’s not going to happen.”
During the appearance, Judge James Jones Jr. asked for patience as “this case may take some time” and “there may be some strong emotions.”
“But it is important that everyone understands that the State of Tennessee, as well as each of these defendants, have an absolute right to a fair trial, and I will not allow any behavior that would jeopardize that right,” he said.
Addressing reporters outside the courtroom, Blake Ballin, an attorney for Desmond Mills Jr., said that “justice for Mr. Nichols will not come at the expense of justice for Mr. Mills.”
“I want to remind everyone that the resolution of this indictment, to which Mr. Mills has pleaded not guilty, must be carried out without sympathy or prejudice, that it must be based on the facts and the law, and not on the raw emotions that our country is currently experiencing,” he said.
The officers’ next court date is set for May 1.
Last month, Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis said officers were “directly responsible” for Nichols’ “physical abuse.”
An administrative investigation by Memphis police found that officers allegedly violated multiple policies, including the use of excessive force, the duty to intervene and the duty to render assistance at the Nichols traffic stop on Jan. 7, Davis said.
Officers pulled Nichols over and aggressively pulled him out of his car, while the officers yelled a series of confusing commands at him, video released by the city shows.
Nichols managed to run to his mother’s neighborhood and was about 80 yards from her house when video captured multiple officers assaulting him as he repeatedly yelled “Mom!”
Police had said Nichols was allegedly pulled over for reckless driving but, according to Davis, an investigation and review of available camera footage found “no evidence” of that.
Nichols, 29, an amateur photographer and skateboarder, was hospitalized in critical condition and died three days after the traffic stop.
Nichols, the youngest of four children, was the father of a 4-year-old boy. He was visiting his family in Memphis from his home in Sacramento, California, when the pandemic began, so he stayed in Memphis and got a job working the night shift at FedEx.
“Nobody’s perfect, that’s okay, but it was pretty close,” RowVaughn Wells said of his son.
Since then, a sixth officer has been fired and another relieved of duty and two Shelby County deputies have been suspended in connection with Nichols’ death.
The Associated Press contributed.