The Memphis Traffic Stop Trials: Tyre Nichols, 28, and his Ex-Operators, Martin Martin, Mills, Jr., are not Charged with a Crime
Jurors deliberated nearly six hours before returning the verdicts. The ex-policemen will be sentenced at a later date. They also face state murder charges.
There was graphic body cam and video evidence that shows five officers, Black in particular, punching, kicking, and using police batons and pepper spray on a man during a traffic stop. It also showed officers talking about the beating and Nichols’ gasp for life on the pavement.
“It just corroborates everything we’ve been saying for a long time. The people who are the victims. “We’re on a long journey, so we don’t want to forget about it.” It will take a while before we can see if there is going to be a change in Memphis.
Outside court on Thursday before the verdicts were announced, resident Paula Buress was holding a handmade cardboard sign with Tyre Nichols’ name on it. She says local activists like her have tried for years to bring attention to police tactics in Memphis.
The officers were part of the Memphis police department’s Scorpion task force, which was created to root out street crime in Memphis. They were fired and the unit was disbanded after Nichols was killed. They were indicted in September.
Officers were trying “to arrest someone who was doing everything but complying,” Bean’s attorney, John Keith Perry said during closing arguments. “When a person runs from you they’re trying to escape custody,” he said. “It was not unreasonable force.”
The defense argued that officers acted within their authority when they conducted the traffic stop and pursued Nichols because he was a high-risk traffic stop. They said that the use of force by the officers was increased after Nichols ran from them.
Two of the ex-officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills, Jr., pleaded guilty and testified against the others. They said Nichols, who weighed 175 pounds, did not pose a real threat to the five policemen.
She urged jurors to trust their eyes. You saw the punches. You saw the kicks. You saw the baton strike,” Gilbert said. She explained how he tried to protect himself when he called out for his mother, as he lived near her.
During closing arguments this week, federal prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert said the officers didn’t count on surveillance video catching what happened when they thought no one was watching.
The Memphis PD Case: Three Former Memphis Police Officers convicted of a federal civil rights violation and three black motorists killed in the 2023 killing of Tyre Nichols
The family is pleased with the convictions, and hope they send a message that police officers can be held accountable for their actions.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal jury has convicted three former Memphis police officers of some federal civil rights violations and found them not guilty of others in the 2023 beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols.
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Thousands of dockworkers called off the strike that shut down East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance ended their three-day standoff with both sides agreeing to a wage increase. The union had wanted a 77% increase over six years. Both parties agreed to extend the existing contract until Jan. 15, 2025, so they can continue negotiations.
State Legislatures are Important to Democrats: A New Map to Analyze What You Want to Learn From a Supermajority. And, What You Can’t Learn About In-Situ Hurricane Helene
As the election looms one month away, all eyes are on who will win the presidency. But some of the most consequential and controversial issues — including abortion, schools, guns, taxes and healthcare — will be decided by the state lawmakers on your ballot. Legislators have significant power that is amplified by a divided Congress. Twenty legislatures have Republican supermajorities which allows them to override governor vetoes. State legislatures are where partisan control is at stake. These states could experience significant changes in the upcoming election. See where your state falls with NPR’s interactive map.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene dumped four to five months of rain on western North Carolina in less than a day. Dozens were killed and entire towns were flooded. Many of the hardest-hit communities are rural with less than 1,000 residents. Marshall, N.C., was built along railroad tracks on the banks of the French Broad River.
🍿Movies: Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola speaks with NPR’s Mandalit del Barco about Megalopolis, a film he’s worked on since the 1980s. It pits the visionary architect Cesar Catilina against Franklyn Cicero, the Mayor of New Rome, in a society plagued with greed and political division.
📺 TV: Netflix’s new series Nobody Wants This, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, doesn’t only offer rom-com banter. It has some serious questions about faith and compatibility.
📚 Books: SNL star Kate McKinnon says her first book, The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette For Young Ladies of Mad Science, is part of her “private mission to give a wink and a nod” to young people who might feel “different” like she did growing up.
Source: Dockworkers suspend strike. And, Tyre Nichols’ family applauds trial verdict
The Voice of the Future: A Quiz: Which Political People Did You Attend When You Were Innovating? How Did You Get What You Want?
🎵 Music: Rapper Future hit #1 this week on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the third time in the last six months with his latest album Mixtape Pluto.
🎭 Theater: The acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show, Fight Night, features five actors who compete to win over the audience during a 90-minute performance. Audience members are given a device to vote using in different rounds and answer questions about their age, income, and the qualities they value in a leader.
❓Quiz: They debated, wrote memoirs, got inaugurated and turned 100. What else did political people do? Put your knowledge to the test and see if you can get a perfect score.