Officers Who Beat Tyre Nichols Went Against Training Protocol, Lieutenant Testifies

MEMPHIS — Memphis Police Department Lt. Larnce Wright said Thursday that three former officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, did not follow department policy when they beat him in January 2023 — testimony that contradicted the argument presented by defense attorneys earlier in the week.

Nichols died three days after being beaten by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop. Two of the officers involved, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., have already pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the incident. The trial for three others who face federal conspiracy and civil rights charges — Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley — began this week.

In the courtroom, prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert played body camera footage from the night of Jan. 7, 2023, which showed officers beating Nichols. She paused the video and asked Wright if the use of force displayed in the footage was consistent with Memphis police training.

“No, ma’am,” replied Wright, who has been training Memphis police officers for seven years. “It is not consistent with our training.”

Wright listed physical techniques all Memphis police recruits are taught during their training academy, including open- and closed-hand strikes and two types of kicks — all of which Wright said officers would only be authorized to use if a civilian posed a threat.

But Nichols never posed a threat, Wright said. More than that, he noted, officers continued to strike Nichols while one of his arms was being held by officers and he was nearly defenseless, which was a violation of departmental policy.

Wright said the footage showed Martin kicking Nichols in the head as officers took turns beating him while placing him in handcuffs.