Tyre Deandre Nichols was a 29-year-old African American man who died on January 10, 2023, after being severely beaten by five Black officers from the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION unit. The incident occurred three days earlier on January 7, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee, and became a significant moment in the ongoing national conversation about police violence against unarmed Black individuals.
Nichols was born on June 5, 1993, to RowVaughn Wells and an unnamed father. Much of his early life remains undocumented, but in 2020 he moved from Sacramento, California, to Memphis. He worked at FedEx and pursued photography as a hobby, maintaining his own website. Nichols also lived with Crohn’s disease, which impacted his health and weight.
On the night of January 7, 2023, Nichols was driving home when officers stopped him at 8:24 p.m. near East Raines Road and Ross Road, in the Autumn Ridge neighborhood. The five officers involved were Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith. Officer Preston Hemphill also participated in the initial traffic stop.
During the stop, Nichols was pulled from his car by Officer Haley. Nichols protested, saying, “I didn’t do anything.” One officer shouted, “Get on the fuckin’ ground,” and threatened to use a Taser. Nichols was pushed to the ground and assaulted. He eventually fled on foot, but officers caught up with him about half a mile away at Castlegate Lane and Bear Creek Drive around 8:33 p.m.
There, Officers Bean, Mills, and Smith punched, kicked, and pepper-sprayed him. While he was handcuffed, another officer arrived and kicked him in the torso. Despite his critical condition, paramedics did not begin treating Nichols until about 16 minutes after arriving at 8:41 p.m. At 9:02 p.m., Nichols was transported to St. Francis Hospital after complaining of shortness of breath. He died three days later. The autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and ruled it a homicide.
Police initially claimed Nichols was stopped for reckless driving. The five officers were fired on January 8, and on January 26, 2023, they were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and official oppression.
Nichols’ death sparked protests across the U.S. in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago from January 28 to February 1, 2023. President Joe Biden called Nichols’ family, supporting their appeal for peaceful protest and vowing to push for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill aimed at curbing police misconduct.
Over time, the legal outcomes varied. One officer pleaded guilty in early 2023, another in August 2024. On October 3, 2024, Demetrius Haley was convicted on all four federal counts, including civil rights violations. Officers Bean and Smith were each convicted of one lesser charge related to witness tampering.
Tyre Nichols’ death reignited calls for accountability and systemic reform in law enforcement, highlighting once again the urgent need for change in how policing is conducted in the United States.
