A man identified as a black Army veteran is suing the five ex-Memphis, Tennessee, police officers charged with murdering Tyre Nichols.
Memphis Ex-Police Who Beat Tyre Nichols Now Accused Of Beatting Black Army Veteran 3 Days Earlier, The Lawsuit Alleges (PHOTO: NBC News)
Ex-Memphis Beat Army Veteran
A black army veteran has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the five officers charged with Tyre Nichols’ murder attacked him three days earlier. A lawyer for Monterrious Harris 22 years old says in the suit that the SCORPION unit officers had surrounded his car while masked without identifying themselves and beat him, severely like punching and stomping him, and dragged him across the concrete.
In the evening hours of January 4, 2023, Harris, while visiting his cousin at an apartment complex in Memphis, was suddenly swarmed by a large group of assailants wearing black ski masks, that covered their faces and Memphis Police Department paraphernalia was not immediately apparent or visible to Harris. They all dressed in black clothing, brandishing guns, and other weapons, hurling expletives and making threats to end his life if he did not exit his car, according to attorney Robert Spence Jr.
The Lawsuit Filed Was Filed In Tennessee Court
The 38-page legal action, which was filed in Tennessee federal court on February 7, names as defendants Demetrius Haley, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. Moreover, all of them have been fired from the department and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ death. Harris is asking for $5 million in damages.
The lawsuit also named the Memphis Police Department and four unidentified officers, who are listed as John Does 1-4. On Thursday, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office declared it is reviewing all cases prior and pending of ex-officers Martin, Mills, Smith, Haley, and Bean.
As of the moment, Memphis police couldn’t immediately be reached Thursday evening.
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