Tire NicholsA 29-year-old black man who was brutally beaten by Memphis police officers after a traffic stop earlier this year died of blunt force trauma to the head, autopsy results released Thursday by the Shelby County Medical Examiner show.
Nichols’ death was classified as a homicide, according to the report, which was originally obtained by CBS News’ Memphis affiliate, WREG-TV. An autopsy also revealed that Nichols had liver failure and damage to his kidneys, as well as blood clots throughout his body. Nichols, who was placed on a ventilator after arriving at the hospital, was also brain dead at the time of his death, the report found.
Manuel Bales Senate/AP
Nichols died on January 10, three days after he was arrested by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop. At the time, police said a “confrontation” occurred when officers approached Nichols’ vehicle. He then fled the scene before another “confrontation,” police said.
but Footage of the incident The violent beatings, revealed in late January, have sparked nationwide outrage. The four videos were taken from police body cameras and street surveillance cameras. The footage shows officers pulling Nichols out of the car, an initial struggle in which Nichols breaks loose and runs from officers, followed by disturbing footage of Nichols being restrained and beaten by five officers at a suburban intersection.
Five former Memphis police officers charged with second-degree murder Nichols’ death, and all of them have pleaded not guilty. There are two more officers Exemption from responsibility The investigation continued, and three Fire department personnel Those who responded to the scene were also fired.
Memphis Police Department via AP
Civil rights attorneys for Nichols’ family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, released a statement on Twitter Wednesday after seeing the autopsy results, saying the results were “highly consistent with our own report in January of this year,” when a Independent autopsy since January A commission by attorneys found that Nichols suffered “profuse bleeding as a result of a severe beating”. The full findings of the report have not been made available to the public.
NEWS ALERT: @AttorneyCrump and @TonyRomanucci have issued a statement after Tyree Nichols’ family was informed of her autopsy results by Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. pic.twitter.com/YHi2DnWLWC
— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) May 3, 2023
“We know now what we knew then. Tyre Nichols died of blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide,” read the statement. “The official autopsy report furthers our commitment to seeking justice for this senseless tragedy.”
C nuts
Thanks for reading CBS News.
Create your free account or login
For more features.