Protesters hold slogans during a rally for Tyre Nichols, who died last month after being beaten by police officers, in Boston, Massachusetts, the United States, Feb. 2, 2023. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua)
Five former police officers each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Five former police officers of Memphis, in the southeastern U.S. state of Tennessee, charged in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols pleaded not guilty on Friday.
They each face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. The next hearing for them has been scheduled for May 1.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was brutally beaten by those charged after a traffic stop on Jan. 7. He was hospitalized after the beating and died three days later.
The five former officers, who are also Black, were fired following an internal investigation and were indicted last month. They are all out on bail.
The death of Nichols has rekindled a national debate in the United States about police brutality and racism. ■
