Tyre Nichols‘ family is praying every day that justice will be done to the six former Memphis police officers who stole his life for no reason other than bloodlust and malice. As the trial against three officers progresses, new information about what happened that night is coming to light.
Today, according to EMS1, jurors saw a video of two first responder EMTs casually milling around while Nichols lay dying as a result of his injuries from the kicking, punching, choking, and tasering administered by the officers in question. Jurors were also shown a video that proves that Nichols received no medical treatment until a paramedic named Jesse Guy and his partner arrived on the scene.
Guy testified Wednesday that Long and Sandridge did not say if they had checked Nichols’ pulse and heart rate, and they did not report if they had given him oxygen. When asked by one of Bean’s lawyers whether that information would have been helpful in treating Nichols, Guy said yes.
The officers involved in this fatal abuse of power were members of the city’s now-disbanded “Scorpion Unit” who were tasked with getting drugs and guns off the streets of Memphis. Tyre Nichols had neither of those things in his possession when he was killed.
Former Scorpion Unit member Kyle Coudriet testified Thursday that he had seen his teammates use violence and punishment during previous arrests, including one in which Haley and Martin punched a man suspected of pointing a gun at another officer and posting about it online.
This is their M.O. This is what they do to people who are rightfully scared for their lives when in the presence of police. Prosecutor Elizabeth Rogers referred to this brand of violence specifically in her opening remarks calling it the “run tax”.
NewsOne reports that an ex-girlfriend of accused officer Demetrius Haley testified that he sent her photos of a bloodied and beaten Nichols from the scene of the incident. Officer Brittany Leake said that she and Haley had dated and that he routinely sent her photos of injured people including a burn victim.
“I wasn’t offended, but it was difficult to look at,” Leake said, claiming she deleted the photo, according to WATN.
An article in APNews detailed the tearful testimony of former MPD officer Desmond Mills who told the court:
“I made his child fatherless,” said Mills, who used a baton to strike Nichols. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I know sorry can’t bring him back.”
Hopefully, every single person involved with Tyre Nichols’ murder gets what’s coming to them in the court of law and beyond.
Mills has pleaded guilty to violating Nichols’ civil rights. We hope and pray that all of these bacon-wrapped boys in blue get what they deserve in the court of law and beyond.
