MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As Memphis sees the one-year anniversary of the traffic stop which led to the death of Tyre Nichols, the legal team for his family is calling on Memphis’ new mayor to hold to a pledge to enact reforms to some city ordinances dealing with MPD.
Nichols was beaten during a traffic stop Jan. 7, 2023, and died three days later. Five MPD officers were fired and charged with killing Nichols, while a sixth was later fired for his involvement.
“It is with heavy hearts that we approach the one-year commemoration of the horrific beating death of Tyre Nichols by members of the Memphis Police Department. 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 attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci in a statement Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
Recently, news broke that former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland rejected the approved city council ordinances that would end pretextual traffic stops, the use of unmarked cars, and some other MPD measures.
“We are deeply disturbed by the recent revelation by former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland that he actively avoided signing and enforcing the Driving Equality Act in honor of Tyre Nichols that the Memphis City Council passed in Spring 2023, directing meaningful reform in how Memphis Police should conduct and report traffic stops,” said the attorneys’ statement.
During a news conference Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, MPD Chief CJ Davis said Strickland's rejection of those measures needed context.
"The mayor didn't sign off on the ordinance. However, once the ordinance was passed by the Council, the police department changed our policies. We have to have policies that mirror city ordinance, so we changed the policies anyway," said Chief Davis. "You know, we didn't have to wait for the mayor to sign or not sign. So, our policies have been changed, our officers have had role call training and they have been operating under those ordinances and we haven't had any issues."
When asked during the news conference, new Mayor Paul Young promised the city would enforce them.
“We will hold Mayor Paul Young accountable to his pledge to enact these reforms. These types of commonsense changes to police policies and practices are essential to establishing trust between communities and police,” said the statement from the Nichols’ family attorneys.
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Nichols died of blows to his head, and the manner of death was homicide, an autopsy report released May 4 showed.
The five officers, all of whom are Black, were fired shortly after the beating. Two other MPD officers were also fired, along with three Memphis Fire Department emergency medical technicians who were fired for failing to render aid to Nichols as he struggled with his injuries. All of them are also defendants in a civil lawsuit by Nichols’ family against the City of Memphis.
One of the MPD officers, Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty in early November to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice. Shelby County D.A. Steve Mulroy said Mills also reached deal with the state to plead guilty to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and official misconduct. A 15-year sentencing recommendation would cover both the federal and state cases.
RELATED: New details on the federal plea agreement for former MPD officer Desmond Mills in Tyre Nichols case
The five former officers who were charged were also part of the so-called SCORPION unit, a crime-suppression team police officials disbanded after Nichols' beating.
“Our legal team is fiercely committed to fighting for justice for Tyre and vigorously restate our assertions that the Scorpion Unit officers involved acted at the direction of a Memphis Police Department policy that violated the civil rights of innocent civilians and caused needless pain to many. Work continues on the civil litigation,” said the attorneys.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it's launching a civil rights 'pattern or practice' investigation into the Memphis Police Department and the City of Memphis.
“There have been a lot of lessons learned… of how do we move forward as a department and still know that our community still needs good police officers on the street,” said Chief Davis during Thursday’s news conference. “The ones that are doing the work every day, that are continuing to do good work every day, we've got to continue to support them but also ensure that we are holding them accountable to do the right thing all the time.”
“The vast majority of police officers are people of good faith who are doing a good job under difficult conditions,” said Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. “We need to support them, but at the same time there are issues of culture and systemic problems that need to be addressed."
RELATED: Tyre Nichols' family will hold vigil at the site of his deadly police beating one year later
Sunday, Nichols’ family will hold a candlelight vigil in his honor at the site of the deadly beating.
Nichols' family said the vigil will be held at Castlegate Lane and Ross Road starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, marking one year since the deadly police beating that thrust Memphis and the Memphis Police Department into the national spotlight.
The vigil will be held alongside a similar candlelight vigil at Nichol's favorite skatepark in Sacramento, California, which now bears his name. Nichols' family said both events will also be a time to advocate for justice.
In a statement, Nichols' family said the vigil aims to provide solace for the family, as well as all those who have been affected by his death, and to honor the person he was.
Organizers said the event is open to all who, "seek to take space to honor Tyre's life and reaffirm the need for justice and accountability from the Memphis Police Department."
The 29-year-old father loved skateboarding and photography. Nichols family said he was on his way home from taking photos of the sky on the night the traffic stop occurred.