New Delhi: Five former police officers facing charges of murder over the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man who died after sustaining injuries in an encounter following a traffic stop in Tennessee, have pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance, as reported by BBC. The officers are currently out on bail, with the next hearing scheduled on May 1. If convicted of murder, they may face up to 60 years in prison.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith, who arrested Nichols on January 7 were fired after an internal investigation by the Memphis Police Department. According to the judge, the five defendants had pleaded not guilty to various charges including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression, BBC reported.
Judge James Jones said that the case may take some time and asked for patience. "This case may take some time," he said to the defendants standing before him alongside their lawyers at the Shelby County Criminal Court, as quoted by BBC.
"We do ask for your continued patience and your continued civility in this case," he added. The family members of Nichols were present in court with their lawyer, Ben Crump.
Speaking to the reporters outside the court, Nichols' mother RowVaughn Wells reflected on seeing the ex-officers in person. "They didn't even have the courage to look at me in my face," she said, as quoted by BBC. She promised to attend every court date until "we get justice for my son".
"Memphis and the whole world needs to see that what's right is done in this case, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later," lead prosecutor Paul Hagerman told reporters, as quoted by BBC. None of the defendants spoke. Their lawyers confirmed the not-guilty pleas when asked by the judge.
According to BBC, the officers were arrested and taken into custody on January 26 after the Memphis police reviewed bodycam footage of the violent arrest.
In the footage of the incident, Nichols, 29, can be heard calling for his mother as he is beaten by police after being pulled over for alleged reckless driving. Videos of the violent incident released by Memphis Police showed Tyre Nichols being pepper-sprayed, kicked, and punched by the officers. Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said the incident was "not just a professional failing", but "a failing of basic humanity toward another individual".
RowVaughn Wells previously told BBC News it was the race of the victim - in this case, her son - and not the race of the perpetrators that mattered. "It's not about the colour of the police officer. We don't care if it's black, white, pink, or purple. What they did was wrong," she said.
The incident has sparked protests against police brutality in the US. In addition to the arrest of the five officers directly involved, several other staff members were fired and are being investigated. A special unit that was designed to fight crime in Memphis has been disbanded.