Nichols’ headaches were useless and excessive

By Adrian Sainz | Associated Press

Memphis, Tennessee – An expert in police training testifying on Saturday as a discharge witness during the trial of three former Memphis officers accused of fatal strokes of Nichols tire recognized that kicks and punches at the head of Nichols were not necessary and excessive.

Don Cameron took a position on the sixth day of the Tadarrius Bean trial, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who pleaded not guilty to state accusations, including a second degree murder. They are already risking the prospect of prison years after being found guilty of the federal accusations last year.

Nichols, a 29 -year -old black man, fled a traffic stop of January 2023 after being out of his car, addressed to pepper and struck with a taser. Five police officers who are also black caught up with him and struck, kicked and struck Nichols with a police stick, fighting to handle him while he called his mother near his home.

Images of the blows captured by a police camera also showed that the police were walking, spoke and laughed while Nichols struggled. His death led to national demonstrations, to calls for police reforms in the United States and a meticulous police exam in Memphis, a mainly black city.

The police are accused of second degree murder, serious assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. The prosecutors argued that the police used excessive force to try to handcuff Nichols. The police also had a duty to intervene and stop the blows and to tell the medical staff that Nichols had been struck in the head, but they did not, according to the prosecutors.

The former officers of Memphis Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin were also charged in the case. They agreed to plead guilty to state accusations and are not tried standing. They also pleaded guilty before a federal court, where the conviction of the five officers is pending.

Defense lawyers sought to expel the accusations that the police used unnecessary strength to master Nichols. They argued that Nichols actively resisted arrest by fleeing and not giving his hands to the officers so that he can be handcuffed. They also argued that their use of force was in accordance with the policies of the police service.

Cameron was called to the stand by the defense lawyer for Haley, who was stopping traffic and arrived at the location of the blows after Martin kicked and struck Nichols at the head while Nichols was held by Smith and Bean.

Cameron said Nichols had not yet been handcuffed and that Haley used the appropriate force to kick Nichols once in the arm. The veteran police coach said Haley had launched Nichols to facilitate the handcuffed of the other police officers.

However, under the counter-examination by the prosecutor Paul Hagerman, Cameron acknowledged that the punches and the kicks of Martin at the head of Nichols were useless, excessive and an example of deadly force. The officers who saw these heads had the duty to intervene and stop the blows at that time, said Cameron.

The prosecutor also questioned Cameron’s commentary on Haley to “beat this man” by leaving his car and approaching Nichols. Cameron said he thought Haley had comment to bring Nichols to be handcuffed after Nichols has repeatedly ignored the explanatory orders to do so.