WASHINGTON (TND) — With their attorneys by their sides, five former Memphis police officers pleaded not guilty on Friday to multiple charges in the arrest and death of 29-year-old Black man.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith made their first court appearances before a judge in Shelby County Criminal Court in Tennessee.
Tyre Nichols died three days after a confrontation with the officers during a traffic stop on January 7. His family said he suffered a heart attack and kidney failure.
Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, were in court along with their lawyer, civil rights attorney Ben Crump. They spoke to reporters after leaving the courtroom.
I feel very numb right now," RowVaughn said. "I feel very numb and I'm waiting for this nightmare, basically, that I'm going through right now -- I'm waiting for somebody to wake me up, right? I'm really waiting for somebody to wake me up. But I also know that's not going to happen, OK? I know my son is gone. I know I'll never see him again but we have to start this process of justice right now and I want each and every one of those police officers to be able to look me in the face. They haven't done that yet. They couldn't even do that today. They didn't even have the courage to look at me in my face after what they did to my son. So, they're going to see me at every court date -- every one -- until we get justice for my son."
Authorities said Nichols was stopped by the officers for reckless driving and when "a confrontation occurred," he ran. The officers then caught up with Nichols and took him into custody. Police said he complained of shortness of breath and was hospitalized.
The five officers, who are all Black, were fired after an internal police investigation.
Now, the officers have pleaded not guilty to the following charges:
Judge James Jones Jr. addressed the courtroom, saying that “despite everyone's best effort, this case can take some time.” He also asked all five officers to "be patient" and cooperate with their attorneys.
"Make sure sure if there are any delays, that these delays aren't on account of any of your actions," Jones said to the officers and their lawyers.
"We do ask for your patience," he added, noting that "there may be some high emotions in this case" but the defendants "have an absolute right to a fair trial."
Wells and Nichols' stepfather, Rodney, previously addressed the public during a news conference on January 27, with Wells speaking directly to the officers.
You disgraced your own families when you did this but I'm going to pray for you and your families," she said.
Crump said he applauds the district attorney for bringing charges against the officers. He vowed there will be swift justice.
They will be held accountable," he said, also noting that it doesn't make a difference that the officers are Black. "It is the culture that made them think they could do this -- and we have to call out this culture every time we get a chance."
RowVaughn went on to say her son loved photography and skateboarding. She described him as being an individual and his own person.
"My son was a beautiful soul," she said. "No one's perfect but he was damn near it."
The Memphis Police Department later released body camera footage of Nichols' arrest. The video, which was released in four parts, shows Nichols being screamed at, held down, and hit by the officers.
Since then, one other white officer who was involved in the initial traffic stop has been fired. An additional officer who has not been identified has been suspended.
Three Memphis Fire Department employees who were present at the site of the arrest have been fired. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who also were there have been suspended without pay.
The five officers are out on bond and their next hearing has been scheduled for May 1.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.