A Memphis police report appears to contradict video released last week, which revealed officers spoke with Tyre Nichols’ mother at the scene the night he suffered fatal injuries during a traffic stop.
The confrontation between city police and Nichols led to the firing of five officers who have also been charged with murder. Disciplinary action has been taken against additional officers and three employees of the fire department.
The five were members of the department’s anti-crime unit, called Street Crimes Operations to Restore Peace in our Neighbors, or SCORPION. The unit has since been disbanded amid a storm of criticism and allegations of excessive force and questionable tactics.
Michael Scholl, a Memphis-based criminal defense attorney, said that SCORPION during the arrests and that the unit’s supervision was inadequate.
Tire Nichols video: Memphis officials release footage of deadly traffic stop
An incident report containing controversial details about a fatal Jan. 7 traffic stop involving Tyre Nichols led to murder charges against five Memphis police officers.
(The Kissing Pastor/Facebook)
“I have produced members of these units before the court,” he said. “It was only a matter of time before that happened.”
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, has said there is “no evidence to support” the police claim that her son was initially pulled over for careless driving.
But a leaked incident report, first obtained by local radio host Thaddeus Matthews and posted online, alleges that she arrived at the scene and told officers that her son “went out with friends” who “may have spiked his drink.”
Tyre Nichols death: Memphis police to release more audio and video
A view from a camera mounted above the intersection where Memphis police apprehended Tyre Nichols, who died three days later. Authorities released footage of the deadly shootout between Nichols and police on Friday.
(Memphis Police Department)
Shelby County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the authenticity of the document, but District Attorney Steven Milroy reportedly told The New York Times that his copy of the police report Same version of events.
WATCH: Bodycam footage shows officers standing over injured Tyree Nichols as he screams for his mother.
The report accuses Nichols of resisting arrest, grabbing an officer’s gun and fighting with detectives.
Tyree Nichols’ family denies rumor of man’s death in Memphis beating after police stop
Memphis officials released four videos on Friday and announced they were dismantling SCORPION on Saturday. The unit was created in 2021 by Memphis Police Chief Cyrilleine Davis, who called the five officers’ behavior “abhorrent, reckless and inhumane.”
Videos show officers hitting him with pepper spray, stun guns, batons and their fists and shoes — while their colleagues hold him down or from behind.
RowVaughn Wells and her husband Rodney Wells on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 in Memphis, Tenn. I arrive at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church for the funeral of my son Tyr Nicholas.
(Andrew Nellis/Poll via Reuters)
Neither video shows any activity before an officer responds to a stop in progress, backing up colleagues who are already struggling with Nichols at a red light when he arrives. .
In some of the video, officers can be heard talking about his alleged driving, “pulling over” and hitting one of them, and claiming he was trying to grab a gun from an officer’s belt. arrived for
Memphis police have released video showing a fatal traffic stop on Jan. 7 that has led to four officers being charged with murder.
(Memphis Police Department)
“The report of the video being different doesn’t surprise me,” Scholl said. “It’s an attempt to cover up the situation and make it seem like they’re justified in doing these things.”
Tyr Nichols’ death: Memphis police ‘permanently deactivate’ Scorpion unit
He said the special task force was assigned to high-crime areas of the city, where the department received the most 911 calls.
“Additionally, police claim my son left the scene on foot,” Wells wrote in a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $1.3 million since his son’s death. “It turns out he was just trying to get to my house for safety — which was only a few blocks from where it happened.”
This photo provided by the Nichols family shows Tyre Nichols, who had a passion for photography and was described by friends as happy and sweet. Nichols was just minutes from his home in Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 7, 2023, when he was pulled over and fatally shot by police. Five Memphis police officers have since been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes.
(Courtesy of Nichols Family via AP)
In the videos, Nichols can be heard calling out for his mother, before police tasered him.
According to authorities, he was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries and died three days later.
“He was never in trouble with the law, not even a parking ticket,” Wells wrote. “He was an honest man, a wonderful son, and kind to everyone. He was quirky and true to himself, and his loss will be felt nationally.”
This combo of booking images provided by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office shows, top row from left, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, bottom row from left, Desmond Mills, Jr. and shows Justin Smith.
(Shelby County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Tennessee court records reveal few police encounters before the Jan. 7 stop. He had a pair of traffic violations and one late fine in 2015.
Five officers Each faces more than half a dozen charges, including second-degree murder. They have been identified as Demetrius Haley, Tadarius Bean, Emmett Martin III, Desmond Mills and Justin Smith.
Nichols was laid to rest at a funeral in Memphis on Wednesday.
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