5 former United States cops have pleaded not responsible within the killing of Tyre Nichols, whose loss of life following a violent visitors cease within the metropolis of Memphis set off protests and renewed calls for an finish to police violence.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith made their first court docket appearances with their legal professionals on Friday earlier than a decide in Shelby County Legal Courtroom.

The previous officers pleaded not responsible to expenses of second-degree homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression in relation to the January 7 arrest of Nichols, which was captured on video.

The footage exhibits the officers beating the 29-year-old father and FedEx employee for 3 minutes in an assault that the Nichols household’s authorized group likened to the 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King, which was additionally videotaped.

“I’m numb, simply numb as I may be proper now,” Nichols’s mom, RowVaughn Wells, stated on Friday as she walked into the courtroom wearing black.

After the court docket listening to, Wells dismissed the officers’ not-guilty plea, saying that it was anticipated.

“I’m going to go away it as much as the district lawyer’s workplace to get them prosecuted… after which they’ll discover them responsible,” Wells instructed reporters outdoors the courtroom. “So, them saying they’re not responsible, that’s a preliminary factor. Everyone’s going to say that.”

She pledged to attend each session in court docket going ahead.

“I would like each a kind of cops to have the ability to look me within the face. They haven’t accomplished that but. They couldn’t even try this at present. They didn’t even have the braveness to take a look at me in my face after what they did to my son,” Wells stated.

Nichols, who died in hospital three days after the visitors cease, tried to converse with police as they shouted orders and threatened him with violence through the ordeal.

“You guys are actually doing rather a lot proper now. I’m simply making an attempt to go house,” he stated at one level as he sat on the road and officers stood over him.

“Cease! I’m not doing something,” Nichols stated, simply earlier than breaking free and operating.

When police caught as much as him, he was crushed whereas being restrained, clubbed with a baton and kicked whereas on the bottom. He cried out for his mom a number of occasions.

The 5 officers, all of whom are Black, have been fired from the police pressure, and the particular unit they had been members of has been disbanded. They had been all launched on bond as they await trial. Their subsequent listening to has been scheduled for Might 1.

“Be affected person. Work together with your attorneys,” Decide James Jones Jr stated to the officers throughout Friday’s court docket look. “There could also be some excessive feelings on this case.”

Nichols’s case has recalled the 2020 killing of George Floyd, who died when a police officer knelt on his neck for greater than 9 minutes throughout an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His loss of life set off mass protests worldwide that demanded an finish to racism and police brutality.

Memphis police stated Nichols had been suspected of reckless driving, however no verified proof of a visitors violation has emerged in public paperwork or in video footage.

The town’s police chief, Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, has stated she has seen no proof justifying the cease or the officers’ response. Davis additionally beforehand stated the video footage of the deadly incident depicted “acts that defy humanity”.

One white officer who was additionally concerned within the preliminary visitors cease has been fired whereas an extra officer who has not been recognized has been suspended.

The Memphis case has stood out for the pace through which the officers had been fired and charged.

On Friday, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump – who’s representing Nichols’ household – warned in opposition to “any pointless delays” in prosecuting the previous officers. “It’s essential that we transfer swiftly in the direction of justice,” He instructed reporters.