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Tyre Nichols murder: Why were the 5 Memphis cops involved in the fatal traffic stop given bond?

Bonds for Demetrius Haley and Emmit Martin III was set at $350,000, while Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills Jr, and Justin Smith each had a $250,000 bond

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: All five former Memphis Police officers who were arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Tyre Nichols, 29, have been released on bond. The five disgraced officers, who were seen on bodycam footage violently and callously beating a hapless Nichols to death, were arrested on Thursday, January 26, and released the following day after bonding out of Shelby County Jail, court records show.

The five Memphis officers, identified as Tadarrius Bean, Emmit Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., Justin Smith, and Demetrius Haley, face charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. The bond for Haley and Martin was set at $350,000, while the bond for Bean, Mills, and Smith was set at $250,000. During a press conference, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy stated that the officers "are all responsible" for Nichols' death.

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Gut-wrenching bodycam footage of the five police officers savagely beating Nichols to death has been released. The distressingly graphic video allegedly shows a hapless Nichols repeatedly being pepper sprayed and pummeled in the face by the officers, while being struck with a metal baton. Throughout the attack the officers, who are also Black, could be heard screaming profanities at him while Nichols could be heard sobbing in pain saying, "Mom! Mom!", pleading, “I'm just trying to go home."

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Nichols's family, has reviewed the body camera footage and called it "appalling," adding, "It is deplorable. It is heinous. It is violent," reported Fox News. However, according to Martin and Mill's lawyers, they are expected to plead "not guilty." "No one out there that night intended for Nichols to die," Martin’s lawyer, William Massey said.

"Sounds like damage control!"

Social media users were outraged that the five officers were set free nearly 30 hours after being arrested. One user wrote on Twitter, "All 5 were out on bonds yesterday afternoon, they didn’t spend any time in a jail cell." Another mocked the injustice and said, "Got the employee discount too." "Allowed to post bond… it’s sad that you can commit such a violent crime and pay money and get your freedom while you await trial. The public has to hope they will behave while having the video evidence released showing just how monstrous they are," read a tweet. A fourth user wrote, "Gut wrenching, heartbreaking (heartbreak emoji) my heart is with his family." "Sounds like damage control. They're sending a message to future offenders that says it's okay. This is definitely first degree murder and they've already knocked it down to a lesser charge. This is them covering for their own and those Fed's are too busy chasing Mr Trump's taxes," claimed a user.

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