MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A year ago, Tire Nichols was driving home to dinner with his family when he was pulled over by Memphis police, who claimed the black man was driving recklessly and yanked him from his car.
Officers hit him with a stun gun and pepper sprayed him, but he managed to escape and tried to run home. Five officers caught up with him a few steps from his home and as he shouted for his mother, they kicked him, punched him and hit him with a police baton. The attack was captured on the officers' body cameras and a stationary police pole camera.
Nichols died from his injuries in a hospital three days later, on January 10, 2023. His death shook Memphis to its core and sparked passionate protests across the US. On Sunday evening, Nichols' family members and their supporters will gather near the site of the beating to remember the life of the skateboard enthusiast and amateur photographer taken from them at the age of 29.
“What happened on January 7, 2023 was an unspeakable and inhumane tragedy that needlessly took the life of a gentle and peaceful person who was loved by so many,” said a statement from Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, attorneys for the Nichols. family.
Nichols' beating was one in a series of cases of police brutality against black people that have sparked protests and renewed debate about police brutality and the need for police reform in the US.
His death also led to serious consequences for the Memphis Police Department and the city. Seven officers were fired for violating department policy during the traffic stop and assault, while an eighth was allowed to retire before he could be fired.
Five of the fired officers – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith – were charged in state court with second-degree murder and other crimes, and in federal court with civil rights violations. The five officers are black.
Mills pleaded guilty in November to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice. The plea is part of a larger deal in which prosecutors said he also agreed to later plead guilty to the charges. The four other officers have pleaded not guilty to the state and federal charges.
Officers said they stopped Nichols for driving recklessly, but Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis has said no evidence was found to support that claim.
An autopsy report found that Nichols died from blows to the head and that the manner of death was homicide. The report described brain injuries and cuts and bruises to the head and other parts of the body.
After Nichols' death, the crime-fighting unit the officers were part of was disbanded. Former members of the so-called Scorpion team have been assigned to other units within the police force.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced in July an investigation into the way Memphis police officers use force and make arrests, one of several “patterns and practices” investigations it has conducted in other cities.
In March, the Justice Department said it was conducting a separate investigation into the use of force, de-escalation strategies and specialized units in the police force.
The police department, the city and the former officers are also being sued in federal court by Nichols' mother. The $550 million lawsuit, filed in April, blames them for his death and accuses Davis of allowing the Scorpion unit's aggressive tactics to continue unchecked despite warning signs.