Current:Home > reviewsOfficers’ reports on fatal Tyre Nichols beating omitted punches and kicks, lieutenant testifies -Zenith Profit Hub
Officers’ reports on fatal Tyre Nichols beating omitted punches and kicks, lieutenant testifies
View
Date:2025-04-13 11:25:52
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Three former Memphis police officers broke department rules when they failed to say that they punched and kicked Tyre Nichols on required forms submitted after the January 2023 fatal beating, a police lieutenant testified Friday.
Larnce Wright, who trained the officers, testified about the the reports written and submitted by the officers, whose federal criminal trial began Monday. The reports, known as response-to-resistance forms, must include complete and accurate statements about what type of force was used, Wright said under questioning by a prosecutor, Kathryn Gilbert.
Jurors were shown the forms submitted by the three officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. The three have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived the Nichols of his rights through excessive force and failure to intervene, and obstructed justice through witness tampering. None of the forms described punching or kicking Nichols. Omitting those details violates department policies and opens the officers up to internal discipline and possible criminal charges.
Nichols, who was Black, died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. Police video shows five officers, who also are Black, beating Nichols as he yells for his mother about a block from her home. Video also shows the officers milling about and talking as Nichols struggles with his injuries.
Wright said the three officers’ reports were not accurate when compared with what was seen in the video.
“They didn’t tell actually what force they used,” Wright said.
Wright also trained the officers’ two former colleagues, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., who already have pleaded guilty to civil rights violations in Nichols’ death. Martin and Mills are expected to testify for prosecutors.
Bean and Smith wrote in their reports that they used “soft hand techniques” with closed hands. Wright said such a technique does not exist in department policies.
Haley’s report did not even say that he was present for the beating, only that he was at the traffic stop.
Earlier Friday, defense attorneys argued that the response-to-resistance forms are a type of protected statements that should not be admitted as evidence at trial. The judge ruled they could be used.
Kevin Whitmore, a lawyer for Bean, questioned Wright about the difference between active and passive resistance. Wright said active resistance means a subject is fighting officers. Defense attorneys have argued that Nichols did not comply with their orders and was fighting them during the arrest.
Wright began testifying Thursday, when he said the officers instead should have used armbars, wrist locks and other soft hands tactics to handcuff Nichols. He also testified that officers have a duty to physically intervene or call a supervisor to the scene if the officer sees another officer using more force than necessary.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Rogers said Wednesday that the officers were punishing Nichols for fleeing a traffic stop and that they just stood around during “crucial” minutes when Nichols’ heart stopped, when they could have helped him. Nichols had no pulse for 25 minutes until it was restored at the hospital, according to testimony from Rachael Love, a nurse practitioner.
An autopsy report shows Nichols died from blows to the head. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and other areas.
All five officers belonged to the now disbanded Scorpion Unit crime suppression team and were fired for violating Memphis Police Department policies.
They were also charged with second-degree murder in state court, where they pleaded not guilty, although Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not been set.
Wells told reporters Wednesday that she hope for three guilty verdicts and for the world to know her son “wasn’t the criminal that they’re trying to make him out to be.”
___
Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Rumer Willis Kisses Mystery Man After Derek Richard Thomas Breakup
- All 4 dead aboard plane after weekend crash near runway in rural Alaska
- Jane’s Addiction cancels its tour after onstage concert fracas
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Britney Spears Shares Rare Message to Sons Jayden and Sean Federline for Their Birthdays
- Oregon tribe sues over federal agency plans to hold an offshore wind energy auction
- Musk deletes post about Harris and Biden assassination after widespread criticism
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Man accused of charging police with machete fatally shot by Pennsylvania officer
Ranking
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- The trial date for the New Orleans mayor’s ex-bodyguard has been pushed back to next summer
- You'll Melt Watching Selena Gomez's Goddaughter Cheer Her on at the 2024 Emmys
- Could YOU pass a citizenship test?
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Abercrombie & Fitch Quietly Put Tons of Chic Styles on Sale – Score an Extra 25% off, Starting at $9
- Below Deck Sailing Yacht Exes Daisy Kelliher and Gary King Have Explosive Reunion in Season 5 Trailer
- Bridgerton Season 4 Reveals First Look at Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha as Steamy Leads
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
After a mission of firsts, SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew returns safely to Earth
Everything to Know About the 2024 Emmys' Biggest Winner Shogun
Postal Service insists it’s ready for a flood of mail-in ballots
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
The Coast Guard will hear from former OceanGate employees about the Titan implosion
Giants' Heliot Ramos becomes first right-handed batter to hit homer into McCovey Cove
Here's What Artem Chigvintsev Is Seeking in Nikki Garcia Divorce