Five Former Memphis Police Officers Plead Not Guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Connection to Death of Tyre Nichols

Five former Memphis, Tennessee police officers have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in connection to the death of Tyre Nichols. The officers were fired on January 20th and charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr. appeared in court on Friday with their attorneys, who entered the not guilty pleas on their behalf. The officers are accused of violating department policies in a traffic stop that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, which was seen on video.

Second-degree murder in Tennessee is considered a Class A felony punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison. The pleas in Shelby County come after the officers were fired on January 20th.

The officers are scheduled to appear in court again on May 3rd for a status hearing. The case is being handled by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

The death of Tyre Nichols has sparked outrage in the community and has led to calls for police reform. The five former officers will remain in jail until their trial.