Defense witness admits excessive use of force in the beating to Nichols

defense witness admits excessive use of force in the beating to Nichols news Washington dc Mary Sidiqi evening edition An expert in police training, who testified in Memphis’s trial against three ex -officials, admitted that the blows to the head of Tyre Nichols were excessive and constituted lethal force. The agents are accused of second degree murder for the death of Nichols in 2023 after a violent beating. The case has attracted national attention and the scrutiny of police conduct.

Fast eyes

• Police expert Don Cameron testified for the defense on Saturday.
• Cameron admitted that the punch and kicks at Nichols’ heads were “excessive.”
• Officers accused of second degree murder and other serious crimes.
• Nichols was beaten after fleeing a traffic stop in January 2023.
• Officers also face federal charges; The sentence is pending.
• Prosecutors argue that the officers did not arrested or denounced the abuse.
• The defense affirms that Nichols resisted arrest and that the use of force fulfilled politics.
• Two other officers, Mills and Martin, declared themselves guilty.
• Nichols died three days after the beating due to blunt trauma.
• The Department of justice report says that the Memphis Police use excessive and discriminating force.

Deep look

The current trial of three former Memphis Police officers accused in the paliza mortal a Tyre Nichols It has become a decisive moment in the adjustment of national accounts on Police violence, accountability and the role of systemic culture in the application of the law. What are what happened in January 2023 as a routine traffic stop has become a judicial drama that is testing the will – and the capacity – of the legal system to face the brutality committed by those who swore to enforce the law.

Saturday, don camerona veteran police formation expert and the last witness called by the defense, went up to the stretch to support Demetrio Haleyone of the three officers in trial. Cameron’s testimony initially aimed to defend Haley’s actions during the now infamous arrest that led to the death of Nichols. However, during the counter -interrogation, Cameron made a crucial confession: repeated kicks and punches at the head of Nichols – delivered by another officer, Issued by Martín – were “Unnecessary, excessive and an example of lethal force.”

This admission, made by a defense witness, can be crucial. Cameron also testified that any officer who witnessed the blows to the head had a A clear duty to intervenea duty that prosecutors say they have the three defendants – Frijol Tadarrius y Justin Smith – It was not confirmed. The Prosecutor’s Office argued that, instead of trying to stop the aggression or inform the medical personnel with precision, the agents stayed with a crossed arms, some even laughing, while Nichols agonized.

Nichols, a 29 -year -old black man, was arrested near his house and forcibly taken from his vehicle. He tried to flee on foot after being sprayed with pepper gas and a taser gun. when the agents reached him, they gave him a brutal and prolonged beating While shouting for his mother, an image that was recorded in the public conscience after a video of a near police post camera He was released.

That video, which circulated widely at the beginning of 2023, showed the officers Hitting, kicking and hitting Nichols with a club. since it seemed largely dejected. Instead of providing help or asking for medical attention, officers dedicated themselves to casual conversationjoked about their actions and did not inform the medical staff of the severity of Nichols injuries. Nichols died Three days laterand an autopsy revealed Massive overwhelming traumaincluding cerebral hemorrhage and internal lesions.

Although initially five officers were accused, Emmitt Martin y Desmond Mills Jr. have from He declared guilty of state and federal positionsincluding Violations of civil rightsTheir guilt agreements have provided prosecutors with crucial cooperation, leaving Bean, Smith and Haley under the greatest public scrutiny.

Saturday’s testimony was particularly harmful to the defense, not only because it undermined the arguments that the force used was in line with the department’s policy, but also because the Systemic failures of police culture – where Group dynamics, loyalty and lack of supervision They contribute to avoidable tragedies. Cameron’s recognition that The excessive force of a single officer requires that others intervene. national calls echoes for a stricter application of duty policies for interventiona reform that many departments adopted after the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

The defense, on the other hand, continues to argue that Nichols was resisting the arrestjustifying the use of force to submit it. The lawyers affirm that, when fleeing and not fulfilling orders, Nichols represented a threat and delayed spooking. However, legal analysts and experts in the use of force have widely criticized this reasoning, noting that The flight alone does not justify excessive forceespecially when the subject is disarmed, does not resist actively and is surrounded by several officers.

The emotional impact of the case has not gone unnoticed. Tuesday, Desmond Mills Jr.Who Struck Nichols with a cane, He testified publicly About his regret and his inability to stop the beating. “I should have done more,” he said. “I should have stopped it.” His regret was repeated by the Forensic doctor. Dr. Marco Rosswho confirmed that Nichols suffered traumatismo cerebral fatala chilling conclusion that is directly related to the blows that Cameron described as excessive and mortal.

Beyond the courts, the Nichols case has caused broader scrutiny of the Memphis Police Departmentparticularly his now dissolved Scorpio Unitthat he had been in charge of the repression of violent crime, but was criticized for his aggressive tactics. In December, the The United States Department of Justice published a condemnatory report After a 17 -month investigation, it was concluded that the department participates in a Excessive force pattern and racial discriminationespecially against black residents, findings that place this trial in a broader context of structural injustice.

For civil rights defenders, the trial represents a crucial turning point. Unlike many previous cases, all the agents involved are … Negrochallenging the simplistic racial dichotomy that often configures public discourse around police violence. It emphasizes that the problem is not just individual malefactors, but … An institutional culture that consents or ignores abuse, regardless of race.

If they are declared guilty, Haley, Bean and Smith could face … decades in prisonbut there is even more at stake. The result can influence Police policies throughout the countryfrom how officers are trained to intervene when they witness a misconduct, to how the departments are responsible for not acting.

In more general terms, the case is a proof of whether the US justice system can constantly apply its norms, not only to civilians, but to Uniformed officers in charge of public securityThe Nichols family and the nation in general expect a verdict that will reinforce or weaken the fragile confidence between communities and forces of order.

In Cameron’s words, what happened in that Memphis street was not consistent with training: it was a abuse of powerwitnessed and undisputed by those who had the duty to act. It remains to be seen if the court agrees, but the moral clarity of that moment is already evident.

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