Tyro Nichols case: 5 Memphis police officers in custody, accused of beating man

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – Five Memphis police officers who were fired in connection with the Jan. 7 traffic stop death of Tyree Nichols were charged with murder and were in custody Thursday, according to Shelby County, Tenn., jail records.

Last week, Memphis police identified the officers as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith. All five are imprisoned.

The allegations against the officers have not been made public.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced a news conference at 2:00 p.m. local time.

This is the most important news. A previous version of this report is below.

Tyr Nichols, the black man whose death this month at the hands of five Memphis, Tennessee, police officers sparked national outrage, suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating,” according to a preliminary independent autopsy ordered by the family.

“His observed injuries are consistent with what his family and attorneys saw on video of his fatal encounter with police on Jan. 7,” Tyre Nichols’ family and their attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said in a statement. “Further details and findings of this independent report will be disclosed at a later date.”

The autopsy was released by the family’s lawyers, who hired their “highly respected, well-known forensic expert” to compile the report. An independent autopsy has not been released.

The body camera footage of the incident has not yet been released, but during a news conference Monday, Crump described the video as “horrific,” “regrettable,” “disgusting,” “violent” and “problematic on all levels.”

The family is cooperating with the Department of Justice’s investigation. Police said the body camera video will be released within the next two weeks.

“Whatever it takes to clear my son’s name and get justice for my son,” Rodney Wells told ABC News. “If they need to keep the video for another two weeks, then let them keep the video for another two weeks.”

RELATED: Relatives of Tyro Nichols say he died after being beaten by police in Memphis; The Ministry of Justice is investigating

The Memphis Police Department announced Friday that it has fired five police officers, all of whom are black, involved in the incident at the end of the department’s internal investigation.

The officers were identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith.

The former officers and the police union did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said other Memphis police officers are still under investigation for violating Memphis Police Department rules in a video released Wednesday night.

After viewing the body camera video, Davis called the officers’ actions “disgusting, reckless and inhumane,” adding that “when the video is released in the next few days, you will see it for yourself.”

Chief Davis said she expects protests after the video is released, but cautioned that while she expects outrage, “none of this is a calling card to incite violence.”

Nichols’ family said he was kicked, pepper sprayed and shocked with a taser while Nichols repeatedly asked, “What did I do?”

“As soon as the video started and I heard my son’s voice, I lost it. I couldn’t stay in the room. All I heard was him saying, ‘What did I do?’ And as soon as I heard that, I lost it,” Rowvon Wells, Nichols’ mother, told ABC News on Monday.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told ABC News that his office is considering possible criminal charges against the former officers. The family said they hope to be charged with murder.

Nichols was pulled over by police on Jan. 7 for alleged reckless driving and was hospitalized in critical condition after complaining of shortness of breath during the arrest. Nichols died three days later.

“They handcuffed him and put him in a car. And when he fell, they told him, ‘Sit down,'” Rodney told ABC News. “You know, and he was going down again, and they were making him sit back down. They never provided any help.”

Victoria J. ABC News’ Arancio contributed to this report.