Memphis Observed the Beatdown of an Ex-Police Officer: Denying a Black Man’s Causes During a Traffic Stop
Jurors deliberated nearly six hours before returning the verdicts. The ex-policemen will be sentenced at a later date. They also face state murder charges.
Key evidence in the case was graphic body cam and surveillance video that showed five officers, all also Black, delivering what federal prosecutors called a “beatdown,” as they repeatedly punched, kicked, used police batons and pepper spray on Nichols during a traffic stop. It also showed officers boasting about the beating as he tried to survive.
It supports everything we’ve been saying for a long time. The people who have been hurt. We don’t want to forget about the journey we are on even though we’re in a good place. We don’t know if there is going to be a change in Memphis.
Outside the court on Thursday, resident Paula Buress held up a handmade cardboard sign with the name of the man on it. She says local activists like her have tried for years to bring attention to police tactics in Memphis.
Four police detectives, who were fired from the Memphis department, were found guilty of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. They were also found not guilty of depriving Nichols’ of his civil rights resulting in death – the harshest charge they faced. The jury found Haley guilty of deprivation of civil rights and indifference that led to serious bodily injury.
During closing arguments, Bean’s attorney stated that officers were attempting to arrest someone who was doing everything but complying. He said that when a person runs from you, they are trying to escape custody. It wasn’t unreasonable force.
At the trial, which began Sept. 9, defense lawyers argued that it was a high-risk traffic stop and officers acted within MPD policy after Nichols ran a red light and failed to stop when pursued by police. They claimed officers used more force after he fled from them, despite being tased and pepper-sprayed.
Two of the ex-officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills, Jr., pleaded guilty and testified against the others. The five policemen said that they did not notice a problem with Nichols being 175 pounds.
She told jurors to trust their eyes. You saw the punches. You could see the kicks. You saw the baton strike,” Gilbert said. She also emphasized how Nichols had his hands in front of his face to protect himself as he called out for his mother — who lived just a block away.
During closing arguments this week, federal prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert said the officers didn’t count on surveillance video catching what happened when they thought no one was watching.
The Up First Podcast: Corrections to the Memphis, Tenn., Police Charged in the 2023 Assassination of Tyre Nichols
Members of the family say they want the convictions to send a message that police officers can be held accountable for their actions.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal jury has convicted three former Memphis police officers of some federal civil rights violations and found them not guilty of others in the 2023 beating death of Black motorist Tyre Nichols.
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Thousands of dockworkers have called off the strike that shut down East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance ended the three-day standoff with both sides agreeing to a 62% wage increase over six years. The union wanted a big increase in six years. Both parties agreed to extend the existing contract for another 15 years in order to continue negotiations.
The Rise of State Legislatures: Nowhere You Live When You’re Close to the Water: A Case Study of Majorana Marshall, Florence, and Tyre Nichols’ Family Applauds Trial
As the election looms one month away, all eyes are on who will win the presidency. But some of the most consequential and controversial issues — including abortion, schools, guns, taxes and healthcare — will be decided by the state lawmakers on your ballot. These legislators’ significant power is amplified by a divided and gridlocked Congress. Republican supermajorities allow the legislature to override the governor’s vetoes. NPR looks at state legislatures where partisan control is at stake. These states could experience significant changes in the upcoming election. NPR has an interactive map where you can see where you live.
Many people were killed in the United States and western North Carolina was drenched with several months’ worth of rain in less than three days. Many of the hardest hit communities are rural and under 1000 residents. Marshall was built on the banks of the French Broad River.
Francis Ford Coppola talks with NPR about his most recent film, Megalopolis. It pits the visionary architect Cesar Catilina against Franklyn Cicero, the Mayor of New Rome, in a society plagued with greed and political division.
📺 TV: Netflix’s new series Nobody Wants This, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, doesn’t only offer rom-com banter. It has a lot of questions about faith and compatibility.
Kate is the author of the first book in her series, The Millicent Quabb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science.
Source: Dockworkers suspend strike. And, Tyre Nichols’ family applauds trial verdict
Fight Night – Celebrating 100 Years of Life in Perturbative Politics. An Inside Look at the Twenty-Five Years of Rapper Future
🎵 Music: Rapper Future hit #1 this week on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the third time in the last six months with his latest album Mixtape Pluto.
The theater is. Fight Night features five actors who try to win over the audience during a 90-minute performance. Audience members are given a device to vote in different rounds and answer questions regarding their age, income, and the qualities they value in a leader.
They got inaugurated, debated and wrote memoirs before turning 100. Political people did other things. Put your knowledge to the test and see if you can beat my near-perfect score.
