Tyree Nicholas, 29, was kicked and beaten by five Black Memphis police officers following a January arrest involving a traffic stop during which cops charged him with speeding and reckless driving.

As a result of being beaten, Nicholas suffered brain injuries and cuts and bruises to his head, face, and other parts of his body, according to the autopsy report. He died three days later in a local hospital. His funeral was held in February. 

The beating was in full view, well-lighted by a street lamp. Cop cam footage of the incident clearly shows that no officer on duty at the time rendered any kind of assistance to Nichols, and the woman ambulance driver who arrived to transport Nichols to the hospital didn’t step out of the vehicle to assist Nichols. 

One of the cops who participated in the beating was Desmond Mills Jr.  On November 2, Mills entered a plea of guilty in the Memphis Federal Courthouse for his participation in Nicholas’s beating and received a 15-year prison sentence.

After Nicholas’ death, the cops all members of the Scorpio Unit, a crime suppression unit, pleaded not guilty. Attorneys for three of the cops could not be reached for comment. 

Mills remains free on bail until his sentencing hearing. The other officers were Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, and Emmit Martin.

. What is not known is why the five Black cops beat him for no apparent reason. Would we expect this from White cops? Are we turning into them?