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The family of Tyre Nichols has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Memphis, its police department and the individual officers involved in the 

 obtained by NPR, it describes the fatal beating as a "foreseeable product of the unconstitutional policies, practices, customs and deliberate indifference of the City of Memphis" and its police chief, Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis.

The lawsuit also compared Nichols' beating by Memphis police to the 1955 killing of 

 — saying that like Till, the 29-year-old suffered a beating “endured at hands of a modern-day lynch mob.”

“Unlike Till, this lynching was carried out by those adorned in department sweatshirts and vests and their actions were sanctioned — expressly and implicitly — by the City of Memphis,” the lawsuit says.

The suit does not mention a specific dollar amount being sought by the Nichols family in damages.

The family's attorneys — Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci — and local counsel, retired Judge Earnestine Hunt Dorse, said in a statement to NPR they will hold a news conference at noon local time Wednesday to discuss the lawsuit.

“How does this horrific and unconstitutional treatment of Black men and women by law enforcement continue to happen,” Crump said in a statement Wednesday to NPR. “Please, Memphis. Please, America, we must hold these people accountable and create meaningful change once and for all.”

Nichols, 29, died on Jan. 10, three days after he was stopped by Memphis police for what they called reckless driving. According to initial police reports, 

 the 29-year-old fled the scene but eventually was taken into custody after two “confrontations” with officers.

Nichols had complained of shortness of breath following his arrest and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Five former Memphis police officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — were terminated by the department on Jan. 21. The five officers belonged to a team known as the SCORPION unit, 

, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. All five officers have 

Like Nichols, all of the dismissed officers facing charges are Black.

News of the family's civil lawsuit filing comes after the city of Memphis announced last month it had completed its investigation into 

 on March 7, the city's Chief Legal Officer, Jennifer Sink, said the city's investigation revealed that a total of 13 officers from the Memphis Police Department underwent an administrative investigation for their involvement in Nichols' death.

Of those, seven were fired, three were suspended and two had internal charges dropped, Sink said.

A police lieutenant, later identified as Dewayne Smith, was able to 

 before an administrative hearing regarding his involvement could be conducted.  

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Jonathan Franklin

Author

The lawsuit compared Nichols' fatal police beating to the 1955 killing of Emmett Till, saying the 29-year-old suffered a beating “endured at hands of a modern-day lynch mob.”

Tyre Nichols' family sues the Memphis police force, the officers and the city

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