5 police officers charged with murder in the death of Tyre Nichols (PHOTOS)

• 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by police.
• He died in the hospital after a traffic stop.
• Biden breaks his silence and fears unrest.

Five fired Memphis police officers have been charged with second-degree murder and other crimes after the murder of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist who died three days after a confrontation with officers during a traffic stop, records showed Thursday.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Department online records show Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills, Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith are in custody. All five are charged with second degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, according to The Associated Press.

Tyre Nichols’ stepfather speaks out

Defense attorney William Massey confirmed to The Associated Press that his client, Emmitt Martin III, had been charged and turned himself in to the authorities. It is not immediately clear if Smith has an attorney to speak on his behalf on the charges. Blake Ballin, Mills’ attorney, said he plans to hold a news conference later Thursday.

Second degree murder is a class A felony punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison under Tennessee law. Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told the AP by phone that he and his wife RowVaughn Wells, who is Nichols’ mother, discussed the second-degree murder charges and are «fine with it». They had pressed for charges of first degree murder.

Biden breaks his silence and fears unrest

«There’s other charges, so I’m all right with that,» he said. He said she was «ecstatic» that authorities had acted quickly on the case. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he will provide an update Thursday afternoon on the investigation by state authorities.

Video footage of the arrest has not been released publicly, but authorities have promised to release it this week or next, according to the AP. For his part, US President Joe Biden on Thursday conveyed his condolences to the family of a young Black man who died as a result of a beating received by the five police officers and demanded that any protests over what happened avoid violence.

“Violence is destructive and against the law”

“Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests in search of justice,” he said in a White House statement. Tyre Nichols, 29, was apprehended on January 7 for an alleged traffic violation in Memphis, according to EFE.

When the officers stopped his car, the young man fled on foot and when he was caught there was a «confrontation» and he was detained. Authorities determined that the five officers were directly responsible for his death from the injuries they caused him. He died three days later.

«Rage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable»

According to EFE, the five, all of the police officers, who are also Black, have already been fired and face various criminal charges, including second-degree murder, according to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.

“Rage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable,” Biden added, recalling that the Department of Justice is already investigating what happened. A video of the arrest will be made public on Friday at 6:00 p.m. local time (00:00 GMT) and the Memphis Police Chief has also asked the public to remain in anticipation of the reactions that these horrific images may arouse.

«Those bonds of trust are frayed or broken»

Biden nevertheless admitted that «public trust is the foundation of public security» and that there are still «too many places in the United States where those bonds of trust are frayed or broken,» according to EFE.

«Tyre’s death is a painful reminder that we must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system delivers on the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment and dignity for all,» the president concluded, warning of possible unrest. Filed Under: Tyre Nichols