Two Memphis brothers allege that Emmit Martin III, one of the officers accused of beating Tyre Nichols, 29, to death in the city, pulled a gun on them when he saw them smoking pot while armed and threatened to blow one of their faces off.
Demarius Hervey, 27, and Glenn Harris, 24, presented their allegations in a new interview with NBC News, days after the disturbing video of Martin and four other police brutally abusing Nichols after a traffic stop on January 7 was aired.
Nichols was admitted to the hospital and died on January 10. Martin, along with Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, has been dismissed and charged with second-degree murder and other counts related to Nichols’ death.
Preston Hemphill, a sixth officer, has been relieved of duty in relation to the event.
Demarius Hervey, 27, and Glenn Harris, 24, consulted a lawyer on the event, but were informed that internal affairs was unlikely to take action.
Along with Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, Officer Emmitt Martin III has been fired and charged with second-degree murder and other crimes in relation to Nichols’ death.
Hervey and Harris claim they were consuming marijuana and had a lawful weapon when they were encircled by Memphis police at a petrol station in August of 2020.
Hervey and Harris reported that, in a panic, they hopped into Harris’ car and fled. The pursuit lasted approximately two miles before Harris wrecked. When he exited the vehicle and attempted to flee again, Martin, age 30, tackled him to the ground.
All of her sons have had run-ins with the law, according to the brothers’ mother, Stacy Harris, who validated their brother’s account.
Their attorney, Arthur Horne, told NBC that a few days after the incident, he advised Harris that he could file a complaint with internal affairs, but action was doubtful.
On January 7, Tyre Nichols succumbed to injuries received during the violent assault.
In response to the broadcast of the Nichols’ video, Horne stated that the family was uncertain as to whether they would file a formal complaint.
Harris was charged of DUI, careless driving, driving with a suspended license, fleeing the scene of an accident, and evading arrest in 2020.
Officers discovered a baggie of marijuana on Hervey’s person, but he was not charged, according to NBC News.
The network, citing the lawsuit, stated that Harris possessed about $2960 in cash and a weapon with 15 rounds.
Regarding Martin, Harris stated, “He was in the wrong; he had no right to pull a gun on me.”
August 2020 will reveal the extent of the damage caused by the automobile chase Harris led the police on in August.
Greg Harris was later charged with possessing a firearm while intoxicated.
According to a WMC report from the time, the event occurred around 1:00 a.m. on a Sunday.
According to the report, the collision sent numerous decorative pots careening down the road, and Harris was charged with possessing a firearm while under the influence.
Since March 2018, Martin has been a member of the Memphis Police Department. According to his attorney, William Massey, his client plans to enter a not guilty plea.
Massey told reporters, “No one intended for Tyre Nichols to die that night.” No one. No one.’
He said, “I imagine police officers have a difficult, dangerous, and sometimes thankless occupation.” And it is likely one of their darkest worries that something similar may occur under their watch.
The video of the beating, which was presented to the public last week, demonstrates that many more people than the five officers implicated in Nichols’ murder failed to assist him.
On January 20, all five officers were fired, and on January 26, they were arrested and charged with the murder of Nichols as well as kidnapping, assault, and misconduct.
The so-called Scorpion unit consisted of six officers that targeted violent criminals in high-crime regions. According to a statement from Crump, other Memphis residents who allege they were also ‘brutalized’ by unit police will speak.
After the broadcast of the video, Police Chief Cerelyn ‘CJ’ Davis announced that the squad had been disbanded.
Nichols’ death was the most recent in a series of early police statements of their use of force that were later revealed to have understated or ignored violent and sometimes fatal interactions.
During Nichols’ nighttime arrest, Memphis Police Department officers used a stun gun, a baton, and their fists to beat him.
After being stopped on suspicion of reckless driving, Nichols is shown on video fleeing from cops toward his home.
The video published on Friday depicts the 29-year-old father pleading for his mother and battling with his injuries as he sits helplessly on the asphalt.
While Nichols remained on the ground, the five officers conversed and milled about for several minutes, while other officials arrived on the scene. Two Shelby County sheriff’s deputies have also been suspended without pay pending an investigation into their conduct.
Crump (left) and the Nichols family encouraged President Joe Biden on Friday to use Nichols’ passing to galvanize support for the act’s approval.
Nichols’ mother and stepfather, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, have accepted an offer from Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech, according to a representative for the group of Black lawmakers.
Horsford stated on MSNBC on Tuesday, ‘I have invited the Nichols family as guests of the Congressional Black Caucus, so they will be present on that day to hear from the president and members of Congress from both parties on how we will finally take action to keep our neighborhoods safe
»Brothers say a cop charged with Tyre Nichols’ death threatened to kill them in the face«