• The five former Memphis police officers accused of Tyre Nichols’ murder.
• Judge James Jones Jr. pleaded for patience and civility.
• The brutal arrest of Mr. Nichols has had an impact on the entire community.

In their first court appearance, five former Memphis police officers accused of Tyre Nichols murder entered a not-guilty plea.

On January 7, Mr. Nichols was detained by Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III, and Justin Smith.

Following an internal inquiry by the Memphis Police Department, they were dismissed.

In the US, demonstrations against police violence were triggered by Mr. Nichols’ death.

The defendants, who were accused with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression, all entered not guilty pleas, the judge confirmed.

Judge James Jones Jr. pleaded for understanding while the attorneys developed their claims.

“This case may take some time,” he said to the defendants standing before him alongside their lawyers at the Shelby County Criminal Court.

“We do ask for your continued patience and your continued civility in this case,” he said.

Family members of Mr. Nichols were present in the courtroom, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump served as their legal counsel.

The former officers, who were clothed in suits and had black face masks on, stood calmly next to their attorneys.

The brief hearing was silent. When questioned by the judge, their attorneys affirmed the not guilty pleas.

After reviewing bodycam evidence of the 29-year-violent old’s arrest, Memphis police arrested and detained the officers on January 26.

In the video, Mr. Nichols can be heard pleading with the cops to stop beating him as they arrest him for allegedly driving recklessly.

The officers punched, kicked, and pepper sprayed him; three days later, he passed away in the hospital.

The incident was “not simply a professional failing,” according to Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, but also “a failing of fundamental compassion towards another individual.”

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RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Mr. Nichols, earlier told reputed media outlet that what mattered was the race of the victim, in this case her son, rather than the race of the criminals.

“It’s not about the color of the police officer. We don’t care if it’s black, white, pink, purple. What they did was wrong,” she said.

“And what they’re doing to the black communities is wrong. We’re not worried about the race of the police officer. We’re worried about the conduct of the police officers.”

The aftermath of the brutal arrest has had an impact on the entire community.

A number of other employees were sacked, and investigations are ongoing in addition to the arrest of the five directly responsible officers.

Moreover, a specialized squad created to combat crime in Memphis has been temporarily disbanded.

The next scheduled hearing is on May 1, and the former policemen are currently free on bond, which means they are not in custody.

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