Five of the officers involved in the Tyre Nichols' case pled "not guilty" on Friday to the charges, according to their lawyers. The defendants appeared at an initial hearing that has brought the eyes of America on all police in regard to the mistreatment of African Americans. 

The five now-fired officers were shown in released footage repeatedly kicking and punching 29-year-old Nichols at a traffic stop on January 7, which led to his death three days later at a hospital. 

Presiding over the case, Judge James Jones warned that the trial could not only be long but could instigate "high emotions". 

"Everyone involved wants this case to be concluded as quickly as possible. But it's important for you all to understand that the state of Tennessee as well as each one of these defendants have an absolute right to a fair trial," he said, adding, "And I will not allow any behavior that could jeopardize that right," 

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Scorpion disbanded

The next court date is set for May 1 by Judge Jones, who stated that there is still substantial evidence to be gathered as the reason behind the murder remains unclear. 

The video footage, recorded on the body cams that police wear, showed Nichols stopped at a traffic light by the five members of a special police anti-crime squad called the Scorpion Unit in Memphis. The unit is now disbanded. A sixth officer, Preston Hamphill, has been fired for also being involved in a policy violation. The unit was founded in 2021 to focus on high-crime areas of the city in Tennessee.

pic.twitter.com/smVU9KxAZY

— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) January 28, 2023

It showed three police officers trying to handcuff Nichols after dragging him out of his car and throwing him against the ground. He was shown to have escaped arrest in the first altercation, but police officers managed to catch up with him in a nearby neighborhood.

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The second altercation saw officers once again struggling to handcuff Nichols before they brutally kicked and beat him with a baton. One officer was shown to have punched Nichols several times in the head, while two others were restraining him, holding his hands behind his back.

A lost son and brother 

Nichols' burial was on February 1 in a ceremony attended by Vice president Kamala Harris, who called his death "not in pursuit of public safety."

At the ceremony, she said, "This is a family that lost their son and their brother through an act of violence at the hands and the feet of people who had been charged with keeping them safe."

The next day, President Joe Biden called on Congress to enforce police reforms as a result. "My hope is, this dark memory spurs some action that we've all been fighting for," he said.