Five former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers are in custody in connection with the death of Tire Nichols, jail records show.

The officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, were fired Friday after Police Chief CJ Davis said they violated department policies during the Jan. 7 traffic stop. .

“They were found to be directly responsible for the physical abuse of Mr. Nichols,” Davis said in a video statement Wednesday night

The first results of an autopsy show that Nichols was severely beaten before he died, lawyers for his family said Tuesday.

A portrait of Tire Nichols is displayed at a memorial service for him on January 17, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee.Adrian Sainz / AP

He Nicholas, 29 years old. died on January 10, days after the confrontation with the police that landed him in the hospital.

Nichols had been pulled over in the Hickory Hill neighborhood of Memphis for alleged reckless driving, authorities said. A «confrontation» ensued, the department said at the time, and officers pursued Nichols as he fled on foot. As he tried to stop him, another confrontation ensued and Nichols complained of having difficulty breathing, the department said.

Authorities have not provided details about the standoff.

Tire Nichols at the hospital.
Tire Nichols at the hospital.courtesy family

A photo provided by his stepfather showed Nichols hospitalized with blood on his face and what appeared to be a swollen eye.

Nichols’ family and his attorneys, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci, viewed body camera footage of the encounter, though that video has not yet been made public.

Romanucci described it as a «non-stop, brazen, unadulterated beating» for three minutes, saying officers allegedly treated Nichols like a «human piñata.»

Memphis Police Officers, top row, from left, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Emmitt Martin III.  Bottom row, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith.
Five Memphis police officers have been fired in connection with a traffic stop that led to the death of Tire Nichols. Top row, left to right, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Emmitt Martin III. Bottom row, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith.Memphis Police Department via AP

Lawyers for the family compared the footage to “the Rodney King video,” referring to a 1991 bystander video of Los Angeles police officers beating a black man.

In Wednesday’s video statement, Davis called the incident «egregious, reckless and inhumane,» conduct that he said people will be able to see for themselves when video of the arrest is released in the coming days.

This is a developing story. Please check for updates.