MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The attorneys and family of Tyre Nichols asked for justice Friday at an 11 a.m. press conference. You can watch it live here at 11 (CT).
Speakers will likely include family members, attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci and Van Turner, president of the Memphis branch NAACP.
Crump noted that charges were brought up against the officers by the district attorney within 20 days. Similar past cases across the country have taken months to move forward. Crump said this should be the blueprint for police-involved shootings going forward.
"We have never seen swift justice like this," Crump said.
Nichols, 29, died Jan. 10, three days after a traffic stop and chase near his home in the Hickory Hill neighborhood that ended with Nichols in a hospital on life support.
Video from the incident is expected to be released to the public sometime after 6 p.m. (CT). Check back with WREG.com.
Five Memphis Police officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith — were fired for misconduct, and indicted by a grand jury Thursday and taken into custody.
Each is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and official oppression. By Friday morning, they had posted bond.
Crump and Romanucci issued a joint statement Thursday on the officers' arrests and charges:
"The news today from Memphis officials that these five officers are being held criminally accountable for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre. This young man lost his life in a particularly disgusting manner that points to the desperate need for change and reform to ensure this violence stops occurring during low-threat procedures, like in this case, a traffic stop. This tragedy meets the absolute definition of a needless and unnecessary death. Tyre’s loved ones’ lives were forever changed when he was beaten to death, and we will keep saying his name until justice is served.”
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