After a weekend of protests against police brutality, Memphis officials note that investigation into Tyre Nichols' death is not over - CNN

Editor’s Note: This nonfiction contains graphic videos and descriptions of violence.

CNN  — 

As protesters gathered crossed US cities implicit the play pursuing the Memphis constabulary beating that led to the decease of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, officials person said the probe into the incidental volition proceed amid questions implicit whether determination could beryllium further charges.

The fallout from the January 7 encounter has been comparatively swift. The 5 Memphis officers progressive were fired and charged with execution and kidnapping successful Nichols’ decease and the constabulary portion they were portion of was disbanded.

As the probe continues, Nichols’ household lawyer Ben Crump said helium thinks determination volition beryllium further fallout, but “whether that’s going to pb to transgression charges, we person to see.”

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said helium can’t remark connected whether determination mightiness beryllium further charges brought, but “nothing we did past Thursday regarding indictments precludes america from bringing different charges later.”

“We are going to request clip to let the probe to spell guardant and further information of charges,” Mulroy told CNN Sunday.

Mulroy called it “unprecedented” that indictment charges were brought against the officers successful conscionable a substance of weeks aft the fatal confrontation.

Officials knew releasing the video without charges for the officers could beryllium “incendiary,” Mulroy said. “The champion solution was to expedite the probe and to expedite the information of charges truthful that the charges could travel archetypal and past the merchandise of the video,” helium added.

Video of the encounter is hard to watch. It begins with a postulation halt and goes connected to amusement officers repeatedly beating Nichols with batons, punching him and kicking him – including astatine 1 constituent portion his hands are restrained down his back.

He was near slumped to the crushed successful handcuffs, and 23 minutes passed earlier a stretcher arrived astatine the scene. Nichols was yet hospitalized and died 3 days later.

“All of these officers failed their oath,” Crump told CNN connected Sunday. “They failed their oath to support and serve. Look astatine that video: Was anybody trying to support and service Tyre Nichols?”

As a makeshift memorial grew connected the country wherever Nichols was beaten, marching protesters successful galore cities – from New York City to Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles – carried signs bearing the sanction of the young Black man, who the state heard calling for his parent arsenic helium was kicked, beaten and pepper-sprayed.

Nichols’ family, present astatine the halfway of unfamiliar media attention, remembered him arsenic a bully lad and begetter who enjoyed skateboarding, photography and sunsets. They recalled his grin and hugs and mourned the moments they’ll ne'er person again.

They besides promised to “keep saying his sanction until justness is served.”

All 5 officers charged successful Nichols’ beating – who are besides Black – were members of the now-scrapped SCORPION unit, Memphis constabulary spokesperson Maj. Karen Rudolph told CNN connected Saturday. The unit, launched successful 2021, enactment officers into areas wherever constabulary were tracking upticks successful convulsive crime.

Memphis constabulary announced Saturday that it volition permanently deactivate the unit, saying that “while the heinous actions of a fewer casts a unreality of dishonor connected the rubric SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department instrumentality proactive steps successful the healing process for each impacted.”

“That reprehensible behaviour we saw successful that video, we deliberation this was portion of the civilization of the SCORPION unit,” Crump said. “So we demanded that they disbanded instantly earlier we spot thing similar this hap again.”

“It was the civilization that was conscionable arsenic blameworthy for sidesplitting Terry Nichols arsenic those officers,” Crump said.

Memphis City Councilman Frank Colvett said disbanding the portion was the close move.

“I deliberation the astute determination and the politician is close successful shutting it down. These kinds of actions are not typical of the Memphis Police Department,” Colvett said.

Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas besides commended the determination and said the lawsuit should springiness the metropolis a accidental to “dig deeper” into assemblage and constabulary relations.

“We saw a precise peaceful and nonstop consciousness of protestation successful the metropolis of Memphis, and I deliberation it’s due to the fact that possibly we bash person religion and anticipation that the strategy is going to get it close this time,” Easter-Thomas said.

The officers charged successful the brushwood with Nichols – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr. – are expected to beryllium arraigned connected February 17. They look charges of second-degree execution and aggravated kidnapping, among different counts.

The lawyer for 1 of the officers indicted, Mills Jr., enactment retired a connection Friday nighttime saying that helium didn’t transverse lines “that others crossed” during the confrontation. The attorney, Blake Ballin, told CNN Mills was a “victim” of the strategy helium worked within.”

Meanwhile, the fallout has besides stretched to different agencies.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who were portion of Nichols’ archetypal attraction were relieved of duty, pending the result of an interior investigation. And 2 deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office person been enactment connected permission pending an investigation.

Crump called connected Congress to walk the George Floyd Justice successful Policing Act, which passed the Democratic-controlled House successful 2021 but not the evenly divided Senate.

The Congressional Black Caucus is requesting a gathering with President Joe Biden this week to propulsion for negotiations connected constabulary reform, caucus seat Steven Horsford wrote successful a quality merchandise Sunday.

“The brutal beating of Tyre Nichols was execution and is simply a grim reminder that we inactive person a agelong mode to spell successful solving systemic constabulary unit successful America,” helium wrote.

Gloria Sweet-Love, the Tennessee State Conference NAACP President applauded Memphis Police Chief Davis for “doing the close thing,” by not waiting six months to a twelvemonth to occurrence the officers who bushed up Tyre Nichols.

She had nary applause for Congress, who she called to enactment saying, “by failing to trade and walk bills to halt constabulary brutality, you’re penning different Black man’s obituary. The humor of Black America is connected your hands. So basal up and bash something.”

On the authorities level, 2 Democratic authorities lawmakers successful Tennessee said Saturday that they mean to record constabulary betterment authorities up of the Tennessee wide assembly’s Tuesday filing deadline. The bills would question to code intelligence wellness attraction for instrumentality enforcement officers, hiring, training, subject practices and different topics, said Rep. G.A. Hardaway, who represents a information of Memphis and Shelby County.

While Democrats clasp the number with 24 representatives compared to the Republican bulk of 99 representatives, Rep. Joe Towns Jr. said this authorities is not partisan and should walk connected some sides of the legislature.

“You would beryllium hard-pressed to look astatine this footage (of Tyre Nichols) and spot what happened to that young man, OK, and not privation to bash something. If a canine successful this region was beaten similar that, what the hellhole would happen?” Towns said.