In the trial's concluding remarks, the prosecutor cited a harsh police intervention that resulted in Tyre Nichols' fatal demise.
Memphis, Tennessee (AP) — The Memphis law enforcement officials who mercilessly assaulted Tyre Nichols to the point of death thought they could get away with it after he fled a 2023 traffic stop, according to a prosecutor during the trial's closing arguments for three of the officers involved.
"They sought a brutal beating," prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert told the jury in the federal trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, who are accused of violating Nichols' civil rights and attempting to cover up the assault. "That's exactly what occurred."
Prosecutors claim this assault was a common police tactic, known in officer slang as the "street tax" or "run tax."
Gilbert emphasized that Emmitt Martin, one of the two officers who accepted a plea agreement, testified that Nichols posed no threat during the assault. She presented a photo of a smiling Nichols, dressed in a vest, a tie, a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and hands in his pockets, to the jury.
She detailed how the officers laughed and boasted about assaulting Nichols, then lied to their superiors and medical personnel to protect themselves.
"They prioritized their comfort and convenience over Mr. Nichols' life," she told the jury.
Defense attorney Stephen Leffler argued that Haley only kicked Nichols once on his arm to help with handcuffing. He also blamed Martin for wrongfully suggesting that Nichols reached for Martin's weapon during the traffic stop.
John Keith Perry, Haley's legal representative, maintained that Nichols ignored commands such as "give me your hands" and claimed his client, the youngest of the officers, followed departmental policies. Perry also asserted that Haley did not know whether Nichols had a weapon but pursued him nonetheless.
"The force was not excessive," Perry argued. "It simply was not."
Bean allegedly struck Nichols only in his hands to attempt handcuffing, according to Perry. However, he challenged statements made by an FBI agent claiming that Bean struck Nichols in the head. Perry pointed out that the agent's interview with Bean was not recorded, and questioned the truthfulness of the agent's statements.
None of the officers involved in the trial chose to testify on their own behalf. Each called experts to counteract the prosecution's arguments that the officers used excessive force, failed to intervene, and neglecting to inform their superiors and medical personnel of the extent of the assault.
Both Martin and the former officer who pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors, Desmond Mills, were accused of lying to investigators regarding the incident, according to Perry, who warned the jury of playing "a game of altering words and semantics."
Police bodycam footage displayed five officers, all of whom are Black, assaulting Nichols, who was also Black, around a block from his home while he cried out for his mother.
"You saw the punches," Gilbert said. "You saw the kicks. You saw the baton strikes."
During Wednesday's proceedings, U.S. District Judge Mark Norris read extensive jury instructions.
Outside the courthouse, supporters of Nichols' family gathered in a circle for a prayer led by Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson while holding hands. They concluded the prayer with the chant, "Justice for Tyre." Pearson sat next to Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, during the closing arguments, placing a comforting hand on her back.
Nichols passed away on January 10, 2023, three days following the assault. An autopsy report revealed that Nichols — the father of a 7-year-old boy — died from head injuries. The report also described brain injuries and cuts and bruises on other parts of his body.
The officers used pepper spray and a Taser during the traffic stop, but Nichols managed to escape, according to the police bodycam footage.
All five officers were terminated. They were part of the Scorpion Unit, which targeted drugs, illegal firearms, and violent offenders. The Scorpion Unit was subsequently disbanded following Nichols' death.
Haley, Bean, and Smith each pled not guilty to federal charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and witness tampering through obstruction of justice. If convicted, they face possible life imprisonment.
The five officers also face separate state charges of second-degree murder. A trial date for that case has yet to be determined. Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas.
The Defense attorney Stephen Leffler asserted that Haley only kicked Nichols once during the assault for handcuffing purposes. Despite this, prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert argued that the assault on Nichols, including the actions of Haley, was a result of the officers prioritizing their comfort and convenience over Nichols' life.
