Police delivered a 'beatdown' that killed Tyre Nichols, prosecutor says in trial closing

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis police officers who beat Tyre Nichols to death wanted to punish him after he ran from a 2023 traffic stop and thought they could get away with it, a prosecutor said Wednesday as closing arguments began in the federal trial of three of the officers.

“They wanted it to be a beatdown,” prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert told jurors in the federal trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who are accused of violating Nichols' civil rights and of trying to cover up the beating. “That’s what it was.”

Prosecutors have argued the beating was part of a common police practice referred to in officer slang as the “street tax” or “run tax. ”

Gilbert noted that Emmitt Martin, one of two officers to take a plea deal, testified that Nichols was not a threat when police beat him. She showed the jury a photo of a smiling Nichols wearing a vest, a tie, a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and hands in his pockets.

She said the officers laughed and bragged about hitting Nichols, then lied about it to their supervisor and medical personnel to protect themselves.

“They chose their own comfort and convenience over Mr. Nichols’ life,” she said.

Police video shows five officers, who are all Black, punched, kicked and hit Nichols, who was also Black, about a block from his home, as he called out for his mother. In addition to Martin, Desmond Mills also pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors.

“You saw the punches," Gilbert said. "You saw the kicks. You saw the baton strikes.”

Defense attorneys are expected to give their closing arguments later Wednesday. They have questioned whether the officers were properly trained and pointed to Martin as a principal aggressor. They each called experts to try to combat prosecutors’ arguments that the officers used excessive force against Nichols, didn’t intervene, and failed to tell their supervisors and medical personnel about the extent of the beating.

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Mark Norris read lengthy instructions for the jurors.

To find any of the three guilty of using too much force, Norris said jurors would need to find that the officers acted as law enforcement officers, violated Nichols’ right to be free from the use of excessive force and “deliberate indifference” to his injuries, and that he suffered bodily injury or death.

The jury also must consider whether the officers were using their “split second judgment” about the force needed to put handcuffs on Nichols after he ran from police.

Outside the courthouse, supporters of Nichols' family stood in a circle for a prayer from Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson while holding hands. They ended the prayer with a chant of “Justice for Tyre.” Pearson sat next to Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, in court during the closing arguments, putting his hand on her back and rubbing gently to comfort her.

Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. An autopsy report shows Nichols — the father of a boy who is now 7 — died from blows to the head. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and elsewhere on his body.

The officers used pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols during the traffic stop, but the 29-year-old ran away, police video shows.

All five officers were fired. They were part of the the Scorpion Unit, which looked for drugs, illegal guns and violent offenders. It was disbanded after Nichols’ death.

Haley, Bean and Smith pleaded not guilty to federal charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice through witness tampering. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

The five officers have pleaded not guilty to separate state charges of second-degree murder. A trial date in that case has not been set. Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas.

Associated Press journalists Jonathan Mattise in Nashville and Kristin M. Hall in Memphis also contributed.

RowVaughn Wells, left, mother of Tyre Nichols, prays with Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, right, before entering the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of her son Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

RowVaughn Wells, left, mother of Tyre Nichols, prays with Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, center, enter the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of her son Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

RowVaughn Wells, left, mother of Tyre Nichols, prays with family and friends before entering the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of her son Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Justin Smith, one of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, arrives at the federal courthouse for the day's proceedings Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tadarrius Bean one of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, arrives at the federal courthouse for the day's proceedings Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

RowVaughn Wells, left, mother of Tyre Nichols, shouts her son's name with Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, second from right, before entering the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of her son Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Family and friends of Tyre Nichols, pray before entering the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating of Nichols, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Friends and family of Tyre Nichols gather to pray before entering the federal courthouse for the trial of three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 fatal beating Nichols, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fernando Valenzuela is stepping away from his broadcast duties with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the rest of the season so the former major league pitcher can focus on his health.

Valenzuela, who turns 64 on Nov. 1, is a Spanish language broadcaster for LA. The team said Wednesday he is hoping to return for next season.

The Dodgers will host San Diego or Atlanta in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday night.

Valenzuela spent the first 11 of his 17 years in the majors with Los Angeles. He helped the Dodgers win the 1981 World Series, winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year after he went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts.

The six-time All-Star won at least 10 games and made at least 25 starts in nine seasons with the Dodgers. He went 21-11 with a 3.14 ERA in 1986, throwing 20 complete games and finishing second to Mike Scott in balloting for the NL Cy Young Award.

Valenzuela appeared in his last big league game with St. Louis in July 1997. He finished his playing career with a 173-153 record and a 3.54 ERA in 453 games, including 424 starts.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Former Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela speaks during a news conference ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony at a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)