Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been part of some high-profile civil rights cases like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd – but he says the investigation and actions taken by Memphis in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death should be the way all cases involving police brutality are dealt with. .
Crump represents a family Nicholswhose death earlier this month sparked nationwide outrage and protests.
In the days following the death of the 29-year-old black man, the Memphis Police Department, along with other agencies, launched an internal investigation. Nichols’ family called for justice and demanded his release Body cam and surveillance footage of his arrests.
Within 20 days of Nichols’ death—and subsequently the internal investigation—five officers were They were fired and charged in connection with Nichols’ death.
Tadarius Beane, Demetrius Haley, Emmett Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith have all been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and other crimes. Attorneys for Martin and Mills said their clients would not plead guilty.
Shelby County Jail
Crump believes the investigation timeline should be a “blueprint going forward” for all cases involving police brutality.
“You can’t tell us anymore that it takes six months, or it takes a year,” CBS Morning said.
“The police chief said it was important for the community to see action quickly and they moved quickly to justice. So our community says, when white police officers kill us too, we want to say it’s important to the community as well,” Crump said. .
On Friday, the Memphis Police Department released police and street surveillance cameras that showed the brutal confrontation that stemmed from a traffic stop.
Crump said the video also shows other members of law enforcement and the Memphis Fire Department should also be “accounted for” after not stepping in to help Nichols.
You see Nichols’ photos clearly after he was [pummeled] He’s been kicked and punched and beaten with police batons and he’s handcuffed there, he’s moaning on the floor and everyone just walks around nonchalantly like it’s business as usual, so that should be the responsibility of whoever appears in the video,” Crumb said.
According to a department statement, “two Memphis Fire Department employees have been temporarily relieved of duty” in connection with the incident while an internal investigation is underway.
After the video was released Friday, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. announced that two deputies who responded to Nichols’ arrest site had been “released from duty.”
Boehner said an “internal investigation” had been launched to determine whether lawmakers had violated any policies.
Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, called for peaceful protests in the wake of the video’s release. Crump said she’s using faith to help guide her and her family through this difficult time.
“She has to believe, because that’s the only thing that helps her deal with her son’s death — she believes … that there must be something good that comes out of this tragedy,” Crump said.
