. >> emmitt martin. >> good morning, your honor, demetrious haley is my client, and he is present in the courtroom and waive the formal reading of the indictment and entear plea of not guilty. >> good morning, john perry on behalf of tadarrius bean, and we enter a plea of not guilty. >> and i see you back there. >> yes, your honor, on behalf of my client desmond mills, we enter a plea of not guilty. >> yes, your honor, on behalf of des emmitt martin, we enter a pleaf not guilty. >> so despite your best effort, this case may take some time, and your attorneys will be receiving the discovery and no matter how voluminous it is, the state will take some time to turn it over to the attorneys to review that discovery to prepare their motions and prepare your case. so be patient with your attorneys and meet with them and cooperate and go over the discovery and if there are any delays, it is not on account of your any of your actions. to those also in attendance, as vi i have explained to the defendants, this case can take some time, and we are asking for your continued patience and civility

haley, along with desmond mills jr., justin smith, and emmitt martin iii were fired and charged withurder. there are two new allegations against some of the same officers. a new federal lawsuit was filed on tuesday accusing them of using excessive force and violating the rights of another man in the same neighborhood. additionally, a local news station spoke with a woman who warned the memphis police officer department about demetrius hallie using aggressive force. joining us is nbc news correspondent antonia hylton where she's been doing brilliant reporting on the beating death of tyre nichols. such an honor to have you here with me. lay this out for me because it feels like this case feels like a lot of things but not a traffic stop. it's interesting to learn definitively there was never a statement, this is why i'm pulling you over. and there are lots of rumor mill out there, but it feels like a case, from everyone i talked to, it feels like some sort of a personal vendetta. do we have any reporting, flesh this out, what we saw happen. >> i can tell you what the community is talki

two memphis residents say they once had a violent encounter with former police officer emmitt martinols' death. digital national reporter dion hampton joins us from memphis where he's been gathering some of the reporting on this. dion, what do we know about the interaction between these two men and the police officer. >> reporter: i was on the ground doing reporting and came across two guys who said the police officers rode up on them. because one had a registered gun and were smoking marijuana, they drove away from the scene and ended up crashing their car two miles down the road. what happened after that, one of the office, emmitt martin iii chased them down after a brief pursuit and put a gun to both the suspects' faces and threatened to blow their faces off. this was backed up in court -- >> go ahead. i'm sorry. >> this was backed up in court documents, affidavits. this was a very true story i just happened to come across while i was here. >> the officer in question has been fired. we know that. obviously this is adding to the narrative of what's been an issue for this community.

another officer, emmitt martin, was disciplined after failing to report a domestic violence case evencomplainant asked to file one. >> failing to properly fill out paperwork in cases involving officers' use of force or failing to properly account for a case of domestic violence now looks really bad. but it does give us a bigger picture as to who these officers were. and it does add some context to the discrepancies that we now see involving tyre nichols. >> reporter: abc news also obtained the initial incident report where officers made claims that directly contradict what's seen in body camera and security video. the report states prior to the thoracic traffic stop, officers observed tyre driving recklessly. >> the police have said they haven't been able to substantiate that that's actually true, and of course there's nothing on video that precedes the interaction with the officers that shows he was pulled over for speeding. so it does raise a question as to whether it actually was a legitimate stop to begin with. >> reporter: officers also described tyre actively resisting by pullin

. >> to darrius bean demetrius haley, justin smith, emmitt martin and desmond mills or medical masks to cover their face and kept silent. they didn't answer questions. none of them spoke in court. a plea of not guilty. instead, their attorneys entered their pleas of not guilty the 5 are facing a slew of charges including second-degree murder following the beating of tyre nichols during a traffic stop last month. nichols died in the hospital days later. nichols family was also in the courtroom with their attorney ben crump. his mother later stating she was not the entire time. one of all. >> want this case to be concluded as quickly as possible. that includes shelby county district attorney steve mulroy. we're trying to expedite as much as possible will be ready. to try the case. you know, within a reasonable amount of time. i don't think that office will be the cause for any the hearing lasted a few minutes. only 2 of the defense attorneys addressed the media like balance representing desmond mills. much has been said about the ways the system has failed. mister nichols. >> i will wo

haley and then emmitt martin shouting, at times con contradictory demands and hearing, he is followingnds, he is on the ground. and right here, haley pepper spraying nichols in the face. the body camera footage captured haley and martin talking to fellow officers say what the stop was for, reckless driving. >> he wouldn't stop. we were like, stop, stop, stop, top, stop, stop, he swerved around. i was like, god damn, what is he doing we put our turn signal on. >> as we're sitting here today, we know that's not true. in fact, their own police chief said sew sew, there is not a shred of evidence that tyre nichols was recklessly driving. there's no evidence he tried to swing or hit any of the police officers nor that he tried to grab their guns, something that these officers claimed in that body camera footage. isabel rosales, cnn, atlanta. >> 200 prisoners were released and sent to the u.s. washington has welcome third relief and is promising to give them aid and legal support. cnn's rafael romo has more. >> you can imagine being in a cage for a year and eight months. it's been a very tra

. >> to darrius bean demetrius haley, justin smith, emmitt martin and desmond mills or medical masks to cover their face and kept silent. they didn't answer questions. none of them spoke in court. a plea of not guilty. instead, their attorneys entered their pleas of not guilty the 5 are facing a slew of charges, including second degree murder following the beating of tyre nichols during a traffic stop last month. nichols died in the hospital days later. nichols family was also in the courtroom with their attorney ben crump. his mother later stating she was not the entire time all. >> want this case to be concluded as quickly as possible. that includes shelby county district attorney steve mulroy. we're trying to expedite as much as possible will be ready. to try the case. you know, within a reasonable amount of time. i don't think that office will be the cause for any the hearing lasted a few minutes. only 2 of the defense attorneys addressed the media. blake ballin is representing desmond mills. much has been said about the ways the system has failed. mister nichols. >> i will work

one of the five officers now charged with second degree murder, emmitt martin is listed as a victim onhe report. in memphis as preparations are underway for a funeral wednesday, family lawyers say there was an attempt to cover up the circumstances of tyre nichols' death. >> it is consistent with what they said from the beginning telling them they could not go to the hospital because tyre was pepper sprayed and tazed and arrested. she believed she thought it was a conspiracy to cover it up from the beginning. >>> with that as a backdrop, we are joined by van jones. john, in a case like this where the initial police report appears to be contradicted by all of the body camera video of the arrest, is that a sign the memphis police were trying to cover up or downplay what happened that night? in the video they are trying to write the narrative from the moment he is still there. >> you can see it in three parts, right. first there is the conversation which is they are creating the story which is that he tried to grab my gun and did this and that. they know there is body camera. they also kno

taddarius bean, emmitt martin ii and desmond mills were arraigned together. the men face charges of second degree murder, misconduct, kidnapping, as well and during the arraignment, the judge stressed this will be a long process. >> work with your attorneys, cooperate with them, meet with them, go over the discovery, make sure if there are any d delays they aren't on account of any of your actions. to those in attendance as i explained to the defendants this can take some time so we ask for your patience, your continued patience, your continued civility in this case. we understand there may be some high emotions in this case but we ask that you continue to be patient with us. everyone involved wants this case to be concluded as quickly as possible. but it's important for you all to understand that the state as well as each one of these defendants have an absolute right to a fair trial. >> tyre nichols' family was in the courtroom as well. his mother said that she wanted the officers to see her face. >> i feel very numb and i'm waiting for this nightmare basic

so we're looking at demtrius haley and emmitt martin.see them just yanking, haley yanking nichols out of the police vehicle, haley and martin, then threatening nichols and you can see right there, trying to force his hand behind his back. haley then pepper sprayed nichols right in the face during that initial stop. this scene continues as they drive over to that second scene where we see that pole camera footage, and then martin kicking nichols multiple times right there, and also, punching nichols in the face, five times. haley rushed up to the two officers, attempting to hands cuff nichols, and then kicking nichols again. haley and nichols did not assist in the handcuffing of nichols, and instead backed away. but on the body camera footage, we see haley and martin telling police officers what they said happened just moments ago. take a listen to this. >> he grabbed -- >> look -- >> so you hear them saying that nichols reached for martin's gun, which the big problem here, we have all of that video footage, and that did not corroborate t

tadarrius bean, hailey, justice smith, emmitt martin iii and desmond mills junior face up to 60 yearsison if convicted. they were members of the police department's scorpion unit which was launched to combat rising crime in memphis. after the death of nichols the unit was permanently disbanded. today the district attorney announced he is reviewing as many as 100 cases involving the scorpion unit and the officers involved. cnn's shimon prokupecz starts off in memphis where tyre nichols' family spoke after the hearing. >> they didn't have the courage to look me in the face. >> reporter: an emotional day where the five officers charged with murdering tyre nichols appeared in court before the nichols family for the first time. >> not guilty. >> not guilty. >> reporter: all five pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. judge james jones addressing the courtroom emphasizing the case could take time. >> we understand that there may be some high emotions in this case, but we ask that you continu

an officer at the scene, one of the five now charged with second degree murder, emmitt martin, was listeda victim on the report. >> in memphis, as preparations are underway for a funeral wednesday, family lawyers say they believe there is an attempt to cover-up the circumstances of his death. >> it's consistent with what tyre's mother said from the beginning, when they said they could not go to the hospital, because tyre had been pepper sprayed and tased. she said that she believed that she thought it was a conspiracy to cover it up from the beginning. >> shimon prokupecz, cnn, new york. >> with that as a backdrop, we're joined by cnn political commentator and seen obama visor, van jones. and cnn law enforcement and -- john miller. former new york commissioner on counterterrorism. john, in a case like this, with the initial police report, it certainly appears to be contradicted by all bodycam footage of the arrest. is that a sign where the memphis a police were attempting to cover it up, we're downplaying exactly what happened that night? the video seems like they were trying to write the

show that several of the cops' associated with his death include history of violence, including emmitt martin who joined in 2017 and had two separate suspensions. nichols' family wants these officers held accountable. >> keep fighting for justice for my son and our family. >> i've been fighting my whole life. the one fight i need to be at, i wasn't here. you know? and at the end of the day, i'm never going to forgive my brother. >> reporter: don, this has really had a big impact on this city. i spoke to two police officers off-camera yesterday in memphis and they say this has totally changed the way they see policing in their own city. they know they're going to have to do a lot of work with the community. they're asking some of the same questions about what's going to happen next, because obviously, this investigation is still ongoing, and we're still learning new details as the days go on. don? >> considering the jewely for george floyd, all eyes will be on memphis to see what -- and hear what the reverend al sharpton has to say about tyre nichols. thank you, appreciate that, ryan young, in

. >> and then emmitt martin, both scene, he stood there as nichols was yanked out of the car.artin kicked nichols multiple times. he punched him in the face five times. both haley and martin. they were heard on that body camera footage telling their fellow officers that nichols reached for or put his hand on martin's gun. the problem is, with those disciplinary hearing summaries that we got through the open records request, the video evidence did not support those claims, they were claims that were deemed to be untrue. guys? >> unfortunately a pattern that we've seen played out so often in these cases, you get an official statement from police that does not match the actual footage itself. thank you very much. >>> still ahead, nfl players suing the league's disability program. we'll explain next. like indulgent memory foam, and ultra-conforming innersprings, for a beautiful mattress, and indescribable comfort. for a limited d time, save up to $800 on selectt stearns & foster® adjustable mattresses sets. this week is your chahance to try any - subway footlong for r free. like t

pepper sprayed, kicked and punched by five officers. 0fficers demetrius haley, desmond miller, emmitt martinin smith and tadarrius bean were fired by the memphis police department injanuary. they were taken into custody after an internal investigation revealed inappropriate conduct in the violent arrest of mr nichols. this afternoon, they entered not guilty pleas in their first court appearance. each of your attorneys have entered pleas of not guilty on your behalf. understand that, despite everyone�*s best efforts, this case may take some time. just a tiny section of the court proceedings over the course of the afternoon. 0utside court, tyre nichols called my mother reacted to not guilty plea. this is the beginning of the process. we're going to be here at every court day... ..so that they can know that we're here. they need to... i don't know, i feel... it's funny cos i feel very numb right now, i feel very numb, and i'm waiting for this nightmare, basically, that i'm going through right now, i'm waiting for somebody to wake me up, right? i'm really waiting for somebody to wake me up. but

taddarius bean, emmitt martin ii and desmond mills were arraigned together.uring the arraignment, the judge stressed this will be a long process. >> work with your attorneys, cooperate with them, meet with them, go over the discovery, make sure if there a

their names, demetrius haley, desmond mills jr., emmitt martin iii, justin smith, all fave of them pleading not guilty. we're hearing of this may 1st date, joyce. i also am asking, wondering if you can kind of expand on this ask about digital discovery and what else you heard in that brief moment in the courtroom? >> right, so what we heard and it was only a part of it, yasmin, but it seems that both the prosecution and at least one of the defense lawyers asked for additional discovery. we heard the judge say that he would continue the case until may 1st so that discovery could be completed. one of the defense lawyers indicated that he had filed a motion for a bill of particulars, which is a legal pleading that asks the prosecution to be more specific about its charges. i'm not certain how that plays in here because we know that the charges in this case involve second degree murder but also aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. those elements are well-established, so we'll have to see what the concern is there. >> is that part of the course to put that ask out there, joyce, and does

but when police stopped them a short time later, they say now, ex-cop, emmitt martin iii pulled the gunnd threatened to shoot them both in the face. harris alleging even more disturbing details, adding that martin iii pinned him down, put a knee on his neck, and pointed his gun at his head, saying i'll blow your face off. they never filed a complaint. martin's lawyer and the city's police union did not respond to nbc's request for comment. the allegations the latest claim being made against the memphis police department, in the wake of nichols' deadly beating. seven officers are off the job. including five terminated and charged with murder. attorneys for two of the men charged say they'll plead not guilty. it comes as the disciplinary records of the other former officers are coming to light, including two who were previously disciplined, according to personnel files reviewed by "the new york times." desmond mills jr. and demetrius haley were reprimanded about failing to file mandatory reports about use, involving arrests that involved use of force. through it all, nichols' family calli

and emmitt martin iii written up previously for not reporting a domestic violence case, required by lawto inspect his squad car vehicle after a handgun was found on the rear floorboard. no infractions were filed for taddarius bean. >> it looks like they're wearing the blue color, that uniform where you can beat a man and then let him lay there wounded for over 20 minutes and think nothing would happen, thought no one would care. >> reporter: this, as key discrepancies emerge between an initial incident report obtained by abc news and what we've seen from body camera and utility pole camera footage. the report stating that former officer martin observed nichols' vehicle driving recklessly at a high rate of speed and into oncoming traffic, but that officer's chief telling abc news they have not been able to verify that claim. another detail alleges nichols reached for an officer's gun and belt. >> he had his hand on my gun. >> reporter: but that wasn't clear in the video released. what is clear is nichols being punched and kicked by several law enforcement officers. the district attorney

when police stopped them, they say now ex-cop emmitt martin ii pulled a gun and punched him in the facetions, the latest claim being made against the memphis police department in the wake of nichols' deadly beating. seven officers are off the job, including five terminated and charged with murder. attorneys for two of the men charged say they'll plead not guilty. it comes as the disciplinary records of the other former officers are coming to light, including two who were previously disciplined, according to personnel files reviewed by the new york tooimsz. desmond mills jr. and haley were reprimanded for failing to file mandatory reports about using force. nichols' family calling for calm as they prepare to lay him to rest. >> if my brother was here today and he had to say something, he would tell us to do this peaceful. >> nbc's priscilla thompson reporting from memphis. more on that story in a bit. >>> meanwhile n washington, president joe biden and house speaker kevin mccarthy are set to meet at the white house to discuss the debt ceiling, according to a white house memo. the preside

emmitt walker, he was the one who pulled walker from his car. they believe they were being targeted by young guys who wanted to steal their car. walker said he saw officer martin step out from his police vehicle. i need to see your mother effing hands or i'll blow your mother effing hands off. he didn't realize they were police at first until he saw their badges and the word scorpion on the back of their shirts. martin, that's the member of the scorpion unit, came over to their car and pulled walker out pointing a gun at his head from one foot away, walker told "the times." officers took him to the police car where other officers also had guns out. he saw three of the officers charged in the nichols case. i said i just came here to get a pizza, walker said. he, as in martin, didn't ever give a reason on why he pulled up on the car. that's walker's car. walker decided to call the memphis police department and itsmp internal affairs unit the day after this assault, but the internal affairs unit disregardedff his complaint. walker told the l.a. times, the sergeant kept justifying it. i was pulled out at gunpoint with these people dressed as undercover cops. how a