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(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols died at the age of 29 on Jan. 10, three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop arrest in Memphis, Tennessee.

The five Memphis Police Department officers involved in his arrest — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and then charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.

Body camera footage of his alleged beating by the former officers, which is set to be released Friday, has been described as “appalling,” “deplorable,” “heinous,” “violent” and “troublesome on every level” by the attorney for the Nichols family.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 27, 9:32 PM EST
2 deputies at scene relieved of duties pending investigation

Following the footage’s release, two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies who were at the scene of the police confrontation have been relieved of their duties pending an investigation, the county’s sheriff announced.

“Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols,” Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said in a statement on Twitter.

Bonner said he has launched an internal investigation into their conduct “to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated.”

Both are relieved of duty pending the investigation’s outcome, he said.

Jan 27, 9:22 PM EST
Grizzlies hold moment of silence for Nichols

The Memphis Grizzlies held a moment of silence for Nichols before Friday night’s NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

In a pre-game presser, Jenkins was it was “devastating”, “another example of police brutality taking the life of one of our own” and “hard to process.”

In a pre-game presser ahead of the release of the footage, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said it was “devastating”, “another example of police brutality taking the life of one of our own” and “hard to process.”

“A lot of emotion,” Jenkins said.

Jan 27, 8:50 PM EST
Police departments react to video footage

Some major police departments released statements condemning the actions of the former officers seen in the body camera video of Tyre Nichols’ encounter.

The LAPD tweeted a statement from Chief of Police Michel R. Moore, who called the ex-cop’s actions “incredibly disturbing, cruel and inhumane.”

“The violation of trust tarnishes our bade and has a caustic effect on the public’s trust,” Moore said in his statement.

Acting New York State Police Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli also condemned the former officers.

“We are outraged and sickened, and we also understand the frustration being felt by the public,” he said in a statement.

Jan 27, 8:41 PM EST
EMTs not visible in video until over 22 minutes after beating ends

Among the four videos released by the city, the overhead surveillance wide-angle shot taken from a city surveillance camera offers a bird’s-eye view of the beating. The footage is graphic and contains images that are disturbing.

Based on that footage, it appears that roughly 20 minutes lapse between the ending of the beating and the officers’ first attempts to render aid to Nichols. EMTs are not visible in the video until more than 22 minutes after the end of the beating.

Additionally, there appears to be several more officers on the scene other than the five who were fired and charged in this case. Shortly after the beating ends, several other officers can be seen in the video. Those officers have not been identified. The local district attorney has said that more charges could be possible in the case.

-ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd

Jan 27, 8:31 PM EST
Protests begin in Memphis, other cities

Protests following the release of the body camera footage began in Memphis with crowds gathering in the streets and calling Tyre Nichols’ name.

The demonstrations were so far peaceful, but officers were on hand.

Similar protests also took place in Washington, D.C , Philadelphia, Boston and Times Square.

There were no immediate reports of arrests at any of the protests in the other cities.

Jan 27, 7:55 PM EST
DA explains why video release was delayed

Shelby County DA Steven Mulroy released a statement following the release of the body camera footage.

Mulroy said the video was delayed because “it it was important to make sure witnesses spoke first from their memory and nothing else.”

“As D.A., I have always sought to balance out the rightful demands of the community with protecting the integrity of our investigation and prosecution,” Mulroy said in a statement.

The DA reiterated calls for peaceful protest as the investigation continues.

“It’s my hope that this tragedy can lead to a broader conversation on police reform,” he said.

-ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd

Jan 27, 7:03 PM EST
Bodycam footage released

Memphis officials have now released the footage of Nichols’ confrontation with police.

Nichols’ family, who saw the footage earlier this week with their attorneys, supported its public release.

Jan 27, 6:47 PM EST
Biden speaks with Nichols’ family ahead of bodycam video release

President Joe Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather in a phone call Friday ahead of the footage’s public release.

“He was a hell of a kid, a handsome boy,” Biden said.

Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, told Biden that Nichols had her name tattooed on his arm.

“I do know that,” Biden said. “I love it.”

Ben Crump, the family’s attorney, said on the call that the video will “evoke strong emotion,” and urged U.S. lawmakers to watch.

“This gives you another opportunity to call for them to come back and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, so we can try to prevent the next Tyre Nichols from happening,” Crump said.

“We’re in full agreement,” Biden said, noting that he passed an executive order on police reform, “but we got to get it for local police.”

As he departed the White House for Camp David Friday evening, Biden recapped his call with Nichols’ mother, which he said lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.

“I told her that I was going to be making the case to the Congress they should pass the George Floyd act. We should get this under control,” he said. “I can only do so much in the executive order at the federal level.”

The president also recounted that Wells called for peaceful protests.

“I’m obviously very concerned about it, but I think she has made a very strong plea,” he said.

–with ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Jan 27, 5:55 PM EST
Attorney representing ex-Memphis cop speaks out

The attorney representing former Memphis Police Officer Desmond Mills, one of the five charged in Tyre Nichols’ death, spoke with ABC News Friday evening.

Blake Ballin said his client was “maintaining a lot of strength” in the last two weeks and asking how he can cooperate with the investigation.

Ballin said he couldn’t comment on the details about the incident but contended that he didn’t believe that Mills delivered the fatal blow.

The attorney added Mills was a responding officer and not the first to arrive on the scene.

“Everybody played their own role. I suspect you’ll see officers crossed the line but not Desmond,” Ballin said.

The attorney said he didn’t see the body camera footage of the incident, which is slated to be released to the public later tonight.

-ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos

Jan 27, 3:56 PM EST
Biden spoke with Nichols’ family, has not seen video

President Joe Biden has not seen the Tyre Nichols video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening, but the president has spoken to Nichols’ family, according to the White House.

“He’s been briefed, but he has not seen the video, nor has anyone at the White House seen the video,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.

Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather Friday afternoon to offer his condolences, a White House official said.

Jean Pierre reiterated that Biden has echoed Nichols’ family’s calls for calm and peaceful protests. But the White House is “in coordination with the relevant agencies to ensure they prepare if protests become violent,” she added.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Jan 27, 3:23 PM EST
Memphis Fire Department reviewing the video

The Memphis Fire Department said it received the video of Tyre Nichols’ traffic stop on Friday and is currently reviewing the footage.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who responded to the scene where Nichols was injured have been relieved of duty in the wake of Nichols’ death.

The Memphis Fire Department said its investigation will conclude early next week.

Jan 27, 1:06 PM EST
Nichols family ‘very satisfied’ with charges

Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, said at a news conference Friday that he’s “very satisfied with the charges” against the five police officers, including second-degree murder.

Although Wells initially said he wanted to see the officers charged with first-degree murder, he said, “As the charges were told to us and they explained to us what the difference between murder one and murder two was, we’re very satisfied with the charges.”

Wells pleaded with the public to protest peacefully.

“We want peace. We do not want any type of uproar,” he said.

Wells added, “The family is very satisfied with the process, with the police chief, the D.A. They acted very, very quickly in this case. We are very, very pleased with that. Other cases drag on, but this is a special case. We had a special son.”

Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said she didn’t watch the body camera video of her son’s confrontation with police and urged people to not let their children see it.

Law enforcement, Nichols’ family and the family attorneys have already seen the video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening.

RowVaughn Wells said the five officers charged in connection to her son’s death disgraced their families, but said she’ll pray for them and their families.

She added, “No mother should go through what I’m going through right now. No mother. To lose their child to the violent way that I lost my child.”

Jan 27, 12:55 PM EST
Family attorney: ‘This kidnapping charge — it is terrorism’

Tyre Nichols family attorney Antonio Romanucci stressed the fact that the charges against the Memphis police officers include kidnapping.

By Tennessee law, he said, “the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge — it is terrorism.”

“When you think of 9/11, what’s the word that comes to mind? Terrorism. When you think of other heinous acts that have happened in churches across this country, any act of terrorism, what does that instill in you? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “It is terrorism. It was designed to terrorize the victim.”

Family attorney Ben Crump added, “One of the things that must be stated about the kidnapping charge … when you all see this video, you’re going to see Tyre Nichols is calling out for his mom.”

“He calls out three times for his mother. His last words on this Earth is, ‘mom,’” Crump said. “When you think about that kidnapping charge, [Nichols] said, ‘I just want to go home.’ I mean, it’s a traffic stop, for God’s sake.”

Jan 27, 12:31 PM EST
Ben Crump: ‘This is the blueprint going forward’

Ben Crump, an attorney for Tyre Nichols’ family, is applauding the charges, including second-degree murder, that were “swiftly” brought against the five Memphis police officers involved in Nichols’ traffic stop.

“When we look at how these five Black officers, who were caught on camera committing a crime, and when we look at how fast the police chief and the police department terminated them,” Crump said at a news conference Friday. “And we look at how swiftly the district attorney brought charges against them in less than 20 days, then we want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be Black or white, will be held accountable.”

“We won’t accept less going forward,” Crump said.

“We have a precedent that has been set here in Memphis,” he said.

Jan 27, 11:48 AM EST
FBI director watched video, says he was ‘appalled’

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday that he’s watched the video and “was appalled.”

“I’m struggling to find a stronger word, but I can tell you I was appalled,” Wray said.

He said alerts have been sent to FBI field offices across the U.S. instructing them to work closely with state and local partners “in the event of something getting out of hand” after the video is released to the public Friday evening.

Wray added, “There is a right way and a wrong way in this country to express being upset or angry about something, and we need to make sure that if there is that sentiment expressed here, it is done in the right way.”

Jan 27, 10:36 AM EST
Memphis police chief says video left her ‘horrified,’ ‘disgusted’

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”

“In my 36 years … I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad … and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Friday.

When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” she replied that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”

Davis said “there was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” and “we felt that Friday would be better.”

“We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home,” the chief explained.

“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis added. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”

Jan 27, 10:28 AM EST
Memphis calls for ‘safe’ protest

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she expects residents to protest upon the release of the body-camera footage, which she called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” though said “we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”

“None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens,” Davis said in a statement Thursday, following the arrest of the five officers involved in Nichol’s arrest.

Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the official video footage is released.

Tennessee Sheriff’s Association President Jeff Bledsoe sent out a letter to Jonathan Thompson, the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director/CEO, on Wednesday anticipating the public reaction to the video’s release.

“Due to the nature of the video’s contents it is believed it may spark responses outside of the traditional protests,” the letter read. “There is a public safety risk potential to communities and peace officers expanding outside of the Shelby County (Memphis) TN area.”

Other cities are also anticipating protests upon the release of the footage.

“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.”

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told a local radio station on Friday, “It is imperative that New Yorkers exercise their right to free speech in a very peaceful way — and that is what we are expecting from the city.”

Jan 27, 10:24 AM EST
Nichols’ family reacts to bodycam footage

After viewing the body camera footage Monday morning along with their attorney, Nichols’ family said they saw the police kick, pepper spray and use a stun gun on their son all while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”

“They handcuffed him and set him — propped him up on the car. And as he fell over they’d tell him, ‘Sit back up,'” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told ABC News earlier this week. “You know, and he would slump back over again and they would make him sit back up. They never rendered any aid.”

Nichols’ mother, Rowvaughn Wells, told ABC News that she could not watch the entire video.

“Once the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard him say was, ‘What did I do?’ And once I heard that, I lost it,” she said.

An independent autopsy, completed by a forensic pathologist hired by the family’s attorneys, found that Nichols suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to the family.

Jan 27, 10:22 AM EST
Timing of body camera footage release

The city plans to publicly release the body camera footage of Nichols’ arrest sometime after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.

“As we have said all along, we wanted to ensure the proper legal steps were followed and that the family of Mr. Nichols had the opportunity to view the video footage privately before we released it to the public,” Strickland said in a statement Thursday night.

“It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training. But we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” he continued, noting the city is initiating an independent review of the specialized units’ training, policies and operations.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — The Memphis Police Department unit at the center of Tyre Nichols’ death earlier this month has now come under scrutiny from critics over its approach to fighting crime.

The SCORPION unit, which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods, was announced in October 2021 and launched a month later. It encompasses 40 officers split into four teams who patrol “high crime hotspots” throughout the city, the police department announced in November 2021.

MPD Assistant Chief Sean Jones told reporters during the launch that SCORPION officers would focus on auto thefts, gang-related crimes and drug-related crimes.

“It’s important to us that each member of the community feels they can go to the grocery store or live in their house without their house being shot or shooting frequently occurring on the streets and on the roadways,” Jones told ABC affiliate WATN in November 2021.

The locations chosen by the police were determined based on the number of 911 calls, Jones said at the time.

Two months into SCORPION’s deployment, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland touted the unit’s effectiveness. In his state of the city speech, Strickland claimed the unit was responsible for 566 arrests, 390 of them felony arrests, seized $103,000 in cash, 270 vehicles and 253 weapons between October 2021 and Jan. 23, 2022.

Criminal justice reform activists and some residents, however, have accused officers in the unit of using excessive force.

Ben Crump, an attorney representing Nichols’ family, told reporters Friday that he had heard of several alleged instances of residents being pushed to the ground, cursed at and suffering other physical injuries at the hands of officers in the unit. One of the alleged victims was 66, according to Crump.

“He said he was confronted by this unit and he was brutalized, and he had pictures of his injuries,” Crump said. “And so, it was foreseeable that something tragic like this was going to happen.”

The Memphis PD did not immediately comment on Crump’s allegations. The Memphis Police Association, the union representing the city’s police officers, hasn’t commented on the case as of Jan. 27.

Patrick Yoes, the president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, one of the largest police unions in the country, issued a statement Friday evening calling Nichols’ death a “criminal assault” and saying the actions of the officers accused in his death “does not constitute legitimate police work or a traffic stop gone wrong.”

“The men arrested and charged for this crime have rights, the presumption of innocence, and the due process protections of anyone accused of a crime, but the bottom line here is that Tyre Nichols, his family, and our entire country need to see justice done—swiftly and surely,” Yoes said in a statement.

Tony Romanucci, another attorney representing the family, called on MPD Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis to disband the SCORPION unit immediately, alleging that the unit has created “a continual pattern and practice of bad behavior.

“The intent of the SCORPION unit has been corrupted,” Romanucci said at the news conference. “It cannot be brought back to center with any sense of morality and dignity, and most importantly, trust in this community. How will the community ever, ever trust a SCORPION unit?”

Strickland said in a video statement Thursday that the department would launch an “outside, independent review of the training, policies and operations” of its specialized units.

Davis said in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Friday that she was “horrified” by the video of the traffic stop that led to Nichols’ death.

“As we continue to try to build trust with our community, this is a very, very heavy cross to bear — not just for our department but for departments across the country,” she added. “Building trust is a day-by-day interaction between every traffic stop, every encounter with the community. We all have to be responsible for that and it’s going to be difficult in the days to come.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Six months after a man with a loaded AK-47-style rifle was caught outside the Brooklyn, New York, home of a prominent Iranian dissident journalist, federal prosecutors on Friday announced new arrests in what they’ve called a murder-for-hire plot by Iran.

On Friday, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against two men, Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, for targeting journalist Masih Alinejad because her reporting publicized Iran’s human rights abuses, its treatment of women and its suppression of democratic participation.

Amirov lives in Iran and Omarov lives in Eastern Europe. Along with Khalid Mehdiyev, who was previously arrested in Brooklyn, they were part of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran, according to the charging documents.

Amirov, the leader, worked with Omarov to arrange for the payment of $30,000 to Mehdiyev, “who then procured an AK-47-style assault rifle for carrying out the murder,” according to the criminal complaint.

“At Amirov’s and Omarov’s instructions, Mehdiyev surveilled the Victim and members of the Victim’s family; took photographs and videos of the Victim’s residence in Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhood; and devised schemes to lure the Victim out of the Victim’s house,” a charging document says.

The Justice Department alleges that the government of Iran has previously targeted dissidents, and Alinejad in particular. In 2018, Iranian government officials attempted to “induce relatives of the Victim who reside in Iran to invite the Victim to travel to a third country for the apparent purpose of having the Victim arrested or detained and transported to Iran for imprisonment,” prosecutors allege.

Omarov tasked Mehdiyev on July 13, 2022, with carrying out the murder for hire plot, the DOJ claims. The men allegedly arranged to have a cash payment of $30,000 delivered to Mehdiyev, who then acquired an AK-47-type weapon to carry out the attack, according to court documents.

“War machine,” Mehdiyev allegedly told the co-conspirators in a message, in apparent reference to the weapon.

For eight days, the three men surveilled the home of Alinejad, 45, and schemed to get her out of her house, according to documents. One plan involved sending her flowers so she would have to step outside, the documents said.

“It will be a show once she steps out of the house,” Mehdiyev allegedly told Omarov in a message.

A day later, on July 28, Mehdiyev was stopped by the NYPD after leaving the area, and was arrested.

“Today’s indictment exposes a dangerous menace to national security — a double threat posed by a vicious transnational crime group operating from what it thought was the safe haven of a rogue nation: Iran,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Friday.

The Iranians were so intent on silencing Alinejad, its intelligence personnel developed a series of possible escape routes, including travel from Brooklyn, a speedboat from Manhattan, and another boat to Venezuela, according to the complaint.

Amirov and Omarov are charged with money laundering and murder for hire. Amirov appeared briefly Friday in court to plead not guilty to the murder-for-hire charges. He did not contest being held without bail.

Prosecutors did not explain how U.S. officials managed to arrest Amirov, who had been living in Iran.

Omirov was arrested in the Czech Republic and U.S. authorities are seeking his extradition.

Mehdiyev, who was previously in custody, is expected in court next week.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ABINGDON, Va.) — Two inmates, including a convicted murderer, who escaped from a Virginia jail have been apprehended in Tennessee, authorities said, more than 24 hours after announcing a fugitive manhunt.

The inmates — identified by the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office as Johnny Shane Brown, 51, of Rogersville, Tennessee, and Albert Lee Ricketson, 31, of Abingdon, Virginia — allegedly escaped the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority in Abingdon from a recreational yard around 2:45 p.m. Thursday. A Washington County emergency alert issued about an hour later warned residents to stay indoors and lock their doors.

A 2008 gold Cadillac SUV allegedly stolen by Brown and Ricketson in Abingdon following their escape was located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, along Route 66 on Friday morning, the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office said.

The two men were found “hiding in the upstairs of a barn” in Rogersville, Tennessee, about four miles from where the stolen vehicle was found, and were arrested without incident, the sheriff’s office said.

Brown, will be held in Washington County Tennessee Jail without bond, while Ricketson will be held in Hawkins County Tennessee Jail without bond, authorities said.

A $5,000 reward for each man was being offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to their apprehension.

Ricketson was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder, while Brown is a federal inmate, authorities said.

Ricketson was arrested in August 2020 in the fatal shooting of a man and woman in Washington County. A jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder in November 2022, court records show.

Brown was in federal custody after allegedly escaping from another jail nearly a year ago. He and two other inmates broke out of the Sullivan County Jail in Tennessee through an air vent in early February 2022, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.

The other two inmates were found dead following a police pursuit in North Carolina, while Brown was apprehended in the state six days after they escaped, authorities said.

Brown was in the Sullivan County Jail at the time of the escape after being convicted of distributing methamphetamine, according to an indictment. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the felony offense, court records show.

A plea agreement on the escape charge was due by April 20 and a jury trial was scheduled to start on May 11, federal court records show.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols died at the age of 29 on Jan. 10, three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop arrest in Memphis, Tennessee.

The five Memphis Police Department officers involved in his arrest — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and then charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.

Body camera footage of his alleged beating by the former officers, which is set to be released Friday, has been described as “appalling,” “deplorable,” “heinous,” “violent” and “troublesome on every level” by the attorney for the Nichols family.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 27, 3:56 PM EST
Biden spoke with Nichols’ family, has not seen video

President Joe Biden has not seen the Tyre Nichols video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening, but the president has spoken to Nichols’ family, according to the White House.

“He’s been briefed, but he has not seen the video, nor has anyone at the White House seen the video,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.

Biden spoke with Nichols’ mother and stepfather Friday afternoon to offer his condolences, a White House official said.

Jean Pierre reiterated that Biden has echoed Nichols’ family’s calls for calm and peaceful protests. But the White House is “in coordination with the relevant agencies to ensure they prepare if protests become violent,” she added.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Jan 27, 3:23 PM EST
Memphis Fire Department reviewing the video

The Memphis Fire Department said it received the video of Tyre Nichols’ traffic stop on Friday and is currently reviewing the footage.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who responded to the scene where Nichols was injured have been relieved of duty in the wake of Nichols’ death.

The Memphis Fire Department said its investigation will conclude early next week.

Jan 27, 1:06 PM EST
Nichols family ‘very satisfied’ with charges

Tyre Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, said at a news conference Friday that he’s “very satisfied with the charges” against the five police officers, including second-degree murder.

Although Wells initially said he wanted to see the officers charged with first-degree murder, he said, “As the charges were told to us and they explained to us what the difference between murder one and murder two was, we’re very satisfied with the charges.”

Wells pleaded with the public to protest peacefully.

“We want peace. We do not want any type of uproar,” he said.

Wells added, “The family is very satisfied with the process, with the police chief, the D.A. They acted very, very quickly in this case. We are very, very pleased with that. Other cases drag on, but this is a special case. We had a special son.”

Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, said she didn’t watch the body camera video of her son’s confrontation with police and urged people to not let their children see it.

Law enforcement, Nichols’ family and the family attorneys have already seen the video that’s set to be released to the public Friday evening.

RowVaughn Wells said the five officers charged in connection to her son’s death disgraced their families, but said she’ll pray for them and their families.

She added, “No mother should go through what I’m going through right now. No mother. To lose their child to the violent way that I lost my child.”

Jan 27, 12:55 PM EST
Family attorney: ‘This kidnapping charge — it is terrorism’

Tyre Nichols family attorney Antonio Romanucci stressed the fact that the charges against the Memphis police officers include kidnapping.

By Tennessee law, he said, “the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge — it is terrorism.”

“When you think of 9/11, what’s the word that comes to mind? Terrorism. When you think of other heinous acts that have happened in churches across this country, any act of terrorism, what does that instill in you? That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition that we are dealing with here on this kidnapping charge,” he said at Friday’s press conference. “It is terrorism. It was designed to terrorize the victim.”

Family attorney Ben Crump added, “One of the things that must be stated about the kidnapping charge … when you all see this video, you’re going to see Tyre Nichols is calling out for his mom.”

“He calls out three times for his mother. His last words on this Earth is, ‘mom,’” Crump said. “When you think about that kidnapping charge, [Nichols] said, ‘I just want to go home.’ I mean, it’s a traffic stop, for God’s sake.”

Jan 27, 12:31 PM EST
Ben Crump: ‘This is the blueprint going forward’

Ben Crump, an attorney for Tyre Nichols’ family, is applauding the charges, including second-degree murder, that were “swiftly” brought against the five Memphis police officers involved in Nichols’ traffic stop.

“When we look at how these five Black officers, who were caught on camera committing a crime, and when we look at how fast the police chief and the police department terminated them,” Crump said at a news conference Friday. “And we look at how swiftly the district attorney brought charges against them in less than 20 days, then we want to proclaim that this is the blueprint going forward for any time any officers, whether they be Black or white, will be held accountable.”

“We won’t accept less going forward,” Crump said.

“We have a precedent that has been set here in Memphis,” he said.

Jan 27, 11:48 AM EST
FBI director watched video, says he was ‘appalled’

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday that he’s watched the video and “was appalled.”

“I’m struggling to find a stronger word, but I can tell you I was appalled,” Wray said.

He said alerts have been sent to FBI field offices across the U.S. instructing them to work closely with state and local partners “in the event of something getting out of hand” after the video is released to the public Friday evening.

Wray added, “There is a right way and a wrong way in this country to express being upset or angry about something, and we need to make sure that if there is that sentiment expressed here, it is done in the right way.”

Jan 27, 10:36 AM EST
Memphis police chief says video left her ‘horrified,’ ‘disgusted’

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”

“In my 36 years … I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad … and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Friday.

When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” she replied that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”

Davis said “there was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” and “we felt that Friday would be better.”

“We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home,” the chief explained.

“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis added. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”

Jan 27, 10:28 AM EST
Memphis calls for ‘safe’ protest

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she expects residents to protest upon the release of the body-camera footage, which she called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” though said “we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”

“None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens,” Davis said in a statement Thursday, following the arrest of the five officers involved in Nichol’s arrest.

Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the official video footage is released.

Tennessee Sheriff’s Association President Jeff Bledsoe sent out a letter to Jonathan Thompson, the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director/CEO, on Wednesday anticipating the public reaction to the video’s release.

“Due to the nature of the video’s contents it is believed it may spark responses outside of the traditional protests,” the letter read. “There is a public safety risk potential to communities and peace officers expanding outside of the Shelby County (Memphis) TN area.”

Other cities are also anticipating protests upon the release of the footage.

“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.”

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told a local radio station on Friday, “It is imperative that New Yorkers exercise their right to free speech in a very peaceful way — and that is what we are expecting from the city.”

Jan 27, 10:24 AM EST
Nichols’ family reacts to bodycam footage

After viewing the body camera footage Monday morning along with their attorney, Nichols’ family said they saw the police kick, pepper spray and use a stun gun on their son all while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”

“They handcuffed him and set him — propped him up on the car. And as he fell over they’d tell him, ‘Sit back up,'” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told ABC News earlier this week. “You know, and he would slump back over again and they would make him sit back up. They never rendered any aid.”

Nichols’ mother, Rowvaughn Wells, told ABC News that she could not watch the entire video.

“Once the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard him say was, ‘What did I do?’ And once I heard that, I lost it,” she said.

An independent autopsy, completed by a forensic pathologist hired by the family’s attorneys, found that Nichols suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to the family.

Jan 27, 10:22 AM EST
Timing of body camera footage release

The city plans to publicly release the body camera footage of Nichols’ arrest sometime after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.

“As we have said all along, we wanted to ensure the proper legal steps were followed and that the family of Mr. Nichols had the opportunity to view the video footage privately before we released it to the public,” Strickland said in a statement Thursday night.

“It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training. But we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” he continued, noting the city is initiating an independent review of the specialized units’ training, policies and operations.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Students Demand Action, a grassroots network of Everytown for Gun Safety, is launching a campaign calling on colleges and universities across the country to divest from the gun industry.

Students at nearly 30 colleges and universities around the country have joined the campaign, called #KillerBusiness, and are asking their colleges and universities to cut economic ties with the gun industry until these companies take accountability for their actions. Students will be organizing on their campuses to put pressure on their institutions to reveal their investments and stop funding the gun industry, according to Everytown.

Everytown plans to increase the number of campuses involved in the campaign throughout the year.

Colleges are notoriously secretive about their investments, though some schools have debated divesting from gun manufacturers in the past.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, Boston University discussed divesting from the gun industry but ultimately trustees rejected a recommendation from an advisory committee. The debate was revived again last year, with BU saying it had no current investment in gun manufacturers and would review whether to exclude future investments, according to the student paper.

Many colleges and universities use large investment firms to manage their endowments, further clouding whether schools are invested in gun manufacturers.

Everytown’s announcement comes days after two mass shootings in California — in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay — left 18 people dead and several others wounded.

There have been 41 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot not including the gunman. Less than a month into the year, 3,130 people have died due to gun violence, including 1,782 people who died by suicide, according to the nonprofit.

Advocates have pushed for the University of California system, one of the largest in the country, to divest from guns for years. The Student Association pushed the Board of Regents to do so in a resolution in 2015, but that fight was still ongoing at least as of last year.

Some of the schools where students have signed on to the campaign include the University of Chicago, Yale University, Miami University and University of California, Davis.

Everytown accused the gun industry of refusing to make its products safer and halt dangerous marketing practices that often focus on youth.

Students Demand Action recently put out a list of steps it is asking the gun industry to take to reduce harm. It has asked the industry to stop marketing weapons of war to civilians and using military imagery to sell guns; stop making do-it-yourself kits that allow anyone to build untraceable ghost guns; stop producing weapons that are easily modified to make them shoot more rounds, more quickly; and stop working with dealers who sell guns without a background check, including at gun shows and online.

The gun industry brings in an estimated $9 billion a year, according to Everytown.

“We refuse to see our schools’ money invested in an industry that won’t even take simple steps to keep us safe,” Ade Osadolor-Hernandez, a volunteer with Students Demand Action and a student at the University of Chicago, said in a press release.

“The gun industry must be held accountable for its deadly practices, and we will work tirelessly to make sure that colleges and universities across the country divest from this killer business,” Osadolor-Hernandez added.

ABC News has reached out to the University of Chicago for comment.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(HOUSTON) — A final canvass was performed on the plot of land on the outskirts of Houston, Texas, where the remains of a murdered couple were found in January of 1981 which led to the disappearance of their daughter for more than 40 years.

Two search dogs correctly and independently indicated the area where the bodies of Tina Linn and Harold “Dean” Clouse were found 42 years earlier on Thursday, and investigators bagged a few items and a soil sample.

The main motivation for the search of the land was to give the green light for its future occupant, a convenience and fuel development, to break ground. But it was also to check, one last time, for any clues to the unsolved mystery of the murders of the couple who police believe were likely killed between December 1980 and January 1981.

The case returned to the headlines in 2022 when the couple’s small child, Holly, who had been understood to be missing since the couple was publicly identified in 2021, was found alive in Oklahoma. While many questions regarding the nature of Holly’s disappearance remain, it is known that she was adopted at an early age and is now a mother herself.

A foggy morning ushered in a remarkably clear day in Houston ideal for the four search dogs and their handlers, as well as a band of 12 Texas attorney general investigators to comb through the densely wooded swath of land and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office provided scene security.

The plan for the search involved an initial single-blind K-9 search, where both the dogs and their handlers were unaware of the exact location where the bodies were discovered within the 15-acre plot. This measure prevented either party from entering the scene partial to one area, which protected the integrity of the investigation.

According to Krystal Thompson, a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden, the canines were trained to indicate scents of decomposition as old as from the Civil War era. Sgt. Rachel Kading, the lead investigator, demonstrated that this could equate to anything from an article of clothing with blood on it, to a human remain like a bone.

After the dogs finished, investigators focused their search on the zone where the bodies were found, using metal detectors, rakes, and other manual search equipment.

“Our goal for today is to make sure we’ve done all that we can to recover any evidence in this case,” Sgt. Kading said to ABC News.

Sgt. Kading stressed the dual-agency effort between her own organization, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and local law enforcement.

“It’s a cooperative investigation; we’re working together for a common goal,” she said.

The investigator admitted it was “a long shot” that they would find anything, due to the sheer time elapsed, damp weather conditions of Houston, and local wildlife.

Mindy Montford, senior counsel for the attorney general’s specialized unit, echoed her colleague.

“It’s a cold case, so yes, this is a long shot. It happened in the ’80s and now it’s 2023. But in cold cases often you only have long shots. We owe it to families to check every box and so we’re checking this box,” she said.

While the canvass did not turn up overt evidence law enforcement searched for, Montford told ABC News they will consult with a lab regarding the samples they retrieved and if needed, return to the land before it’s developed. In the meantime, they also asked for the public’s help.

“If anyone remembers anything or has heard anything, no matter how small, report it. You can remain anonymous, just please let us know,” Montford said.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

The Texas Attorney general’s office is asking anyone with information pertaining to this case to please contact its Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit at coldcaseunit@oag.texas.gov or at 512-936-0742.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Tyre Nichols died at the age of 29 on Jan. 10, three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop arrest in Memphis, Tennessee.

The five Memphis Police Department officers involved in his arrest — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were fired and then charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death.

Body camera footage of his alleged beating by the former officers, which is set to be released Friday, has been described as “appalling,” “deplorable,” “heinous,” “violent” and “troublesome on every level” by the attorney for the Nichols family.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 27, 10:36 AM EST
Memphis police chief says video left her ‘horrified,’ ‘disgusted’

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”

“In my 36 years … I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad … and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Friday.

When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” she replied that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”

Davis said “there was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” and “we felt that Friday would be better.”

“We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home,” the chief explained.

“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis added. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”

Jan 27, 10:28 AM EST
Memphis calls for ‘safe’ protest

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said she expects residents to protest upon the release of the body-camera footage, which she called “heinous, reckless and inhumane,” though said “we need to ensure our community is safe in this process.”

“None of this is a calling card for inciting violence or destruction on our community or against our citizens,” Davis said in a statement Thursday, following the arrest of the five officers involved in Nichol’s arrest.

Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the official video footage is released.

Tennessee Sheriff’s Association President Jeff Bledsoe sent out a letter to Jonathan Thompson, the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director/CEO, on Wednesday anticipating the public reaction to the video’s release.

“Due to the nature of the video’s contents it is believed it may spark responses outside of the traditional protests,” the letter read. “There is a public safety risk potential to communities and peace officers expanding outside of the Shelby County (Memphis) TN area.”

Other cities are also anticipating protests upon the release of the footage.

“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.”

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams told a local radio station on Friday, “It is imperative that New Yorkers exercise their right to free speech in a very peaceful way — and that is what we are expecting from the city.”

Jan 27, 10:24 AM EST
Nichols’ family reacts to bodycam footage

After viewing the body camera footage Monday morning along with their attorney, Nichols’ family said they saw the police kick, pepper spray and use a stun gun on their son all while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”

“They handcuffed him and set him — propped him up on the car. And as he fell over they’d tell him, ‘Sit back up,'” Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, told ABC News earlier this week. “You know, and he would slump back over again and they would make him sit back up. They never rendered any aid.”

Nichols’ mother, Rowvaughn Wells, told ABC News that she could not watch the entire video.

“Once the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard him say was, ‘What did I do?’ And once I heard that, I lost it,” she said.

An independent autopsy, completed by a forensic pathologist hired by the family’s attorneys, found that Nichols suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to the family.

Jan 27, 10:22 AM EST
Timing of body camera footage release

The city plans to publicly release the body camera footage of Nichols’ arrest sometime after 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said.

“As we have said all along, we wanted to ensure the proper legal steps were followed and that the family of Mr. Nichols had the opportunity to view the video footage privately before we released it to the public,” Strickland said in a statement Thursday night.

“It is clear that these officers violated the department’s policies and training. But we are doing everything we can to prevent this from happening again,” he continued, noting the city is initiating an independent review of the specialized units’ training, policies and operations.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the Jan. 7 traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”

“In my 36 years, […] I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad […] and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during an interview Friday on Good Morning America.

“As we continue to try to build trust with our community, this is a very, very heavy cross to bear — not just for our department but for departments across the country,” she added. “Building trust is a day-by-day interaction between every traffic stop, every encounter with the community. We all have to be responsible for that and it’s going to be difficult in the days to come.”

Nichols, 29, died in a hospital three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop in Memphis on Jan. 7. Video of the incident, comprised of footage from the city’s surveillance cameras and the former officers’ body-worn cameras, has yet to be made public but is expected to be released on Friday evening.

“There was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” Davis told ABC News. “We felt that Friday would be better. We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home.”

Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the footage is released, and Memphis is not the only city on alert. In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday that it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.” The United States Capitol Police, charged with protecting Congress, is also taking steps to boost security ahead of the video release, a source briefed on the agency’s plans told ABC News on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Police Department said Friday that it is “closely monitoring the situation in Memphis” and is “working with our stakeholders to ensure that we have ample staffing on hand in order to provide for the safety and First Amendment rights of demonstrators, residents, and visitors.”

Last week, the Memphis Police Department fired five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — in connection with Nichols’ death. All five men were arrested on Thursday and each charged with several felonies, including second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct and official oppression, according to online jail records for Tennessee’s Shelby County and a press release from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis noted. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”

When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” the police chief told ABC News that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”

Nichols was arrested in Memphis on the evening of Jan. 7, after officers attempted to make a traffic stop for reckless driving near the area of Raines Road and Ross Road, according to separate press releases from the Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A confrontation unfolded as the officers approached Nichols, who ran away. Another confrontation occurred when the officers pursued Nichols and ultimately apprehended him, police said.

After the incident, Nichols “complained of having a shortness of breath” and was transported by ambulance to Memphis’ St. Francis Hospital in critical condition, according to police.

Due to Nichols’ condition, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and TBI special agents were subsequently requested to conduct a use-of-force investigation, according to the TBI.

Nichols “succumbed to his injuries” on Jan. 10, the TBI said.

Local, state and federal authorities continue to investigate the Jan. 7 traffic stop and Nichols’ death.

According to a preliminary independent autopsy commissioned by Nichols’ family and released by their lawyers, he suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”

Neither the independent autopsy report nor official autopsy report have been publicly released.

When asked what went wrong that fateful day, the police chief told ABC News that she thinks “there were several gaps that took place.”

“I’m just going to be honest, anytime we have officers that are working in various types of units — and our police department along with departments around the country have specialized units — it’s just important to make sure that there are supervisors that are where they’re supposed to be during these types of operations,” Davis added. ” You know, individuals that are the right people that are in place that will act appropriately when these types of incidents occur.”

“I believe there was a sense of group think in the mentality of what was happening,” she said, “and it’s just very unfortunate that nobody stepped forward to say ‘enough.'”

Davis also noted that “the stop itself was very questionable” and investigators “have been unable to verify the reckless driving allegation.”

Bean, Haley, Martin, Mills and Smith were part of the SCORPION Unit, an acronym for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods launched in 2021 by the Memphis Police Department. The goal of the unit was created to address violent crimes in the city in a 50-person unit that operates seven days a week. According to the Memphis Police Department, the five former officers violated policies for use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid. Other officers are under investigation for department violations as well.

The police chief told ABC News that she is not aware of any prior criminal records for Bean, Haley, Martin, Mills or Smith.

All five were booked into Shelby County Jail on Thursday. Bonds were set at $350,000 for Martin and Haley, and $250,000 for Bean, Mills and Smith, according to a press release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. As of early Friday morning, online jail records show Bean, Martin, Mills and Smith have since been released after posting bond. Records show Haley is the only one still in custody, though it appears he has posted bond.

Mills’ lawyer, Blake Ballin, and the attorney for Martin, William Massey, told reporters on Thursday that they have not yet seen video of the Jan. 7 incident, but they said their clients were “devastated” about the charges and will be pleading not guilty. Although there have been no public announcement of other defense attorneys representing the officers, Ballin and Massey told reporters that all former officers are currently represented.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, joined by TBI Director David Rausch and other members of the state agency, held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to officially announce the charges against the five former officers.

“Nothing we do today or did today precludes the addition of any further charges regarding any of the people [involved],” Mulroy told reporters.

Earlier this week, Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told ABC News that the family is seeking a first-degree murder charge. But Mulroy said Thursday that he had met with the family about the charges brought and “expedited” the investigation.

The TBI director described the Jan. 7 incident as “absolutely appalling.”

“Let me be clear, what happened here does not at all reflect proper policing,” Rausch told reporters. “This was wrong. This was criminal.”

Nichols’ family and their lawyers have already seen video of the incident. One of the family’s attorneys, Ben Crump, told ABC News that the footage was “tragic” and “so difficult to watch,” describing Nichols as a “gentle soul.”

“Even while he’s being brutalized, you still see the humanity in Tyre that he was a good kid,” Crump said during an interview Thursday night on ABC News Live Prime. “It’s just troubling on so many levels that they continue to escalate. They never de-escalate. And it’s just heart wrenching at the end where, you know, he calls for his mother three times. I mean, heart wrenching cries for his mother. And then he never says another word again.”

Crump said Nichols’ family is “relieved” that the officers were terminated “in a swift manner” and also “thankful that the charges were brought today.”

“What I found is — in my almost 25 years of doing this civil rights work in America — it is not the race of the police officer that is the determining factor of whether they are going to engage in excessive use of force,” he added. “But it is the race of the citizen and, oftentimes, it’s Black and brown citizens who bear the brunt of this police brutality. We don’t see our white brothers and sisters who are unarmed encounter this type of excessive force at the hands of police.”

ABC News’ Nakylah Carter, Armando Garcia, Ahmad Hemingway, Josh Margolin, Mark Osborne, Stephanie Wash and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ATLANTA) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday in response to ongoing protests in downtown Atlanta.

Kemp ordered the state’s defense department to mobilize up to 1,000 state National Guard troops to be called up to active duty “as necessary.”

Authorities arrested six people Saturday when demonstrations over a proposed training ground for the Atlanta Police Department, which started peacefully, involved shooting fireworks, smashing windows, and igniting a police cruiser once protestors reached downtown.

Police suppressed the protests quickly, authorities said last weekend.

The group behind the protests, called ‘Stop Cop City,’ has demonstrated against the training facility for months and was particularly moved last week by the death of a protestor when police raided a campground occupied by demonstrators.

Police say the protestor, Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, fired first, injuring an officer, but activists have questioned authorities’ description of the encounter.

The proposed training center, which was approved by the Atlanta City Council in 2021, will “reimagine law enforcement training,” according to the website of the Atlanta Police Foundation, which is spearheading the project.

In a September FAQ posted on its website, the Foundation acknowledged that the 85 acres on which the facility is being built, which is part of a wooded area in DeKalb County, had been designated by the city council in 2017 as a future green space. However, the group claims that the plan “was not well-known” and said it was not binding.

Kemp’s state of emergency declaration came as Atlanta braces for possible protests on Friday when Memphis authorities intend to release body camera footage of the alleged beating of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers who have since been fired and charged with murder in his death.

“We are closely monitoring the events in Memphis and are prepared to support peaceful protests in our city,” the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Thursday. “We understand and share in the outrage surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols. Police officers are expected to conduct themselves in a compassionate, competent, and constitutional manner and these officers failed Tyre, their communities and their profession. We ask that demonstrations be safe and peaceful.”

Kemp did not indicate whether his declaration was also in preparation for any Nichols-related protests.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.