MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Five former Memphis police officers on Friday pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges stemming from last month’s death of Tyre Nichols.
Police video captured images of the officers beating and kicking Nichols, hitting him with a baton, spraying him with pepper spray, and firing a stun gun at him on Jan. 7 following a traffic stop.
The five officers, all of them out on bail, entered their pleas during an arraignment in Shelby County Criminal Court in Memphis, where they are formally charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
The five officers—Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith have been fired from the police force, and the special unit to which they belonged has been disbanded….