National

The city of Memphis on Friday released footage ​showing police officers ​fatally beating Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man​ who died days after he was pulled over during a traffic stop​.

Driving the news: Police body camera and neighborhood security camera footage​ from Jan. 7 show multiple Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers kicking, punching and striking Nichols with a baton as he screamed for help and pleaded for them to stop. 

The Shelby County district attorney​ on Thursday​ charged five fired Memphis police officers involved in Nichols' arrest with murder and kidnapping​. 

The latest: Two Shelby County Sheriff's deputies have been relieved of duty pending an impending investigation, Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr. said Friday night. Shelby County is where Memphis is located.

"Having watched the videotape for the first time tonight, I have concerns about two deputies who appeared on the scene following the physical confrontation between police and Tyre Nichols," Bonner said. 

"I have launched an internal investigation into the conduct of these deputies to determine what occurred and if any policies were violated," he added.

 Bonner did not say what the deputies' roles were in Nichols' arrest.

Details: In the footage, which includes graphic and violent content and depicts two encounters, two police officers hold Nichols on the ground at a residential street corner, while a third officer kicks and punches him in the head.

A fourth officer then repeatedly hits Nichols with what appears to be a baton while the first two officers continue to restrain him.

At one point, Nichols appears to be briefly stumbling as officers hold his arms, but falls back to the ground after the third officer punches him several more times in the head.

After Nichols is on the ground again, three of the officers hold him down, and a fifth officer approaches and kicks Nichols. 

After the assault, which lasts at least three minutes, two officers drag Nichols to the side of a police car, where he is left without medical attention for around 20 minutes.

During the initial encounter after police pulled Nichols over, officers with guns drawn appear to approach him in the drivers' seat of a vehicle.  

Officers drag Nichols from the vehicle, footage shows. After he is restrained and on the ground, officers can be heard yelling at him to lay down. Nichols repeatedly said "alright" and "okay" as multiple officers restrain him. At one point said, he said, "I'm just trying to go home."

During another moment shown in footage, Nichols can be heard while he is restrained on the ground screaming for his mother. 

Catch up quick: The five former officers were booked into the Shelby County jail on Thursday.

Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, who are Black men, were also each charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. 

The Department of Justice and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating whether Nichols' civil rights were violated by police.

Attorneys for the Nichols family, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci, previously said the footage shows Nichols being subjected to “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” by police officers for three minutes.

President Biden spoke with Nichols' mother and stepfather Friday afternoon to express his condolences and commend "the family's courage and strength," the White House said in a statement.

What they're saying: Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, asked Thursday at a vigil that demonstrations over his death be peaceful, saying, "tearing up the streets because that is not what my son stood for,” according to local media.

Nichols' stepfather, Rodney Wells, said during a news conference earlier Friday the family encourages people to hold demonstrations but to "protest safely." 

Attorney General Merrick Garland during a news conference earlier Friday urged people to remain calm. He said he did not see the video ahead of its release but was briefed on it, calling it "deeply disturbing" based on descriptions.

"I want to repeat what the family has said, that expressions of concern when people see this video — we urge that they be peaceful and nonviolent," Garland said. "That's what the family has urged."

Context: The Memphis Police Department said in its initial Jan. 8 statement on Nichols' arrest that he was pulled over for "reckless driving" on Jan. 7 before a "confrontation occurred" between Nichols and police as officers approached the vehicle.

It said Nichols fled the scene on foot before another "confrontation” occurred while officers were attempting to take him into custody.

After he was arrested, the department said Nichols complained of shortness of breath. An ambulance was called, and he was taken to a hospital "in critical condition," its statement reads.

Crump and Romanucci said Nichols died days later on Jan. 10 and that preliminary findings from an independent autopsy performed by a pathologist hired by the family revealed he "suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating."

An official cause of death for Nichols has not been issued by the Shelby County medical examiner's office. 

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said earlier Friday the department, through a review of the footage, was not able to substantiate its earlier claim that Nichols was driving recklessly, which was the stated probable cause for the traffic stop. 

Davis went further, saying the cameras did not record any evidence of probable cause for the traffic stop, though she stressed that that did not mean none existed.

What sparked the first confrontation between Nichols and the officers "is just unknown," she said.

An attorney for one of the accused, Desmond Mills, Jr., released a statement Saturday urging "caution and patience." The footage "produced as many questions as they have answers," lawyer Blake Ballin said.

"Some of the questions that remain will require a focus on Desmond Mills’s individual actions; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see when he arrived late to the scene; on what Desmond knew and what he was able to see after he was pepper sprayed; and on whether Desmond’s actions crossed the lines that were crossed by other officers during this incident," Ballin said.

"We are confident that the questions of whether Desmond crossed the lines that others crossed and whether he committed the crimes charged will be answered with a resounding no."

The big picture: The police chief condemned the actions of the officers involved in Nichols' arrest earlier this week, saying they were "directly responsible" for his "physical abuse" and that they had "a failing of basic humanity toward another individual."

Davis said the five officers were fired last week for violating departmental policies during the Jan. 7 stop and additional officers are under investigation for potential violations.

Davis said two paramedics are also under investigation by the Memphis fire chief over their actions throughout the incident. Based on her assessment of the footage, they delayed in giving medical care to Nichols, she said.

The police chief said she respected citizens' right to exercise their First Amendment to hold demonstrations over the footage, which she described as "heinous, reckless and inhumane," but she discouraged people from "inciting violence or destruction on our community or against out citizens."

U.S. reacts to video of Tyre Nichols' fatal beating by Memphis police

Memphis police chief: Video of Tyre Nichols arrest shows acts that "defy humanity"

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.

City of Memphis releases footage of police fatally beating Tyre Nichols

Memphis has braced for the footage after warnings it shows officers beating Nichols.

 RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, and Rodney Wells, his stepfather, flanked by attorney Ben Crump (left) in a church in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 27.

RowVaughn Wells, mother of Tyre Nichols, and Rodney Wells, his stepfather, flanked by attorney Ben Crump (left) in a church in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 27. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Police

Politics & Policy

The U.S. government is investigating whether the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee, were violated during his encounter with police officers.

The latest: Attorneys representing Nichols' family on Friday called for police reform after five former Memphis Police Department officers were each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression over Nichol's death.

Benjamin Crump, one of the family's attorneys, said the family would like to see the creation of a "Tyre law" in Tennessee, which he said would require police to intervene in active crimes, even when they are being committed by another officer. 

"That would be the appropriate legacy that we give Tyre Nichols," Crump said. "Police officers, you have a duty to intervene when you see a crime being committed. You expect the people to say something, well why don't you all show us how to do it?"

The five former officers, who were fired following Nichols' death, were booked on Thursday into the Shelby County jail, per Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and jail records.

The officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — are also Black men.

Crump said Tennessee's response against the former officers should be the nationwide "blueprint" for investigations into and legal proceedings over other police brutality cases, regardless of the race of the officers involved.

 "We now have the blueprint, America, and we won't accept less going forward in the future. We won't have Black officers treated differently than white officers under the law," Crump said.

Officials are expected to release footage of Nichols' arrest on Friday after 7 p.m. ET.

Details: Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said on Wednesday the five officers were fired last week after they were found to be "directly responsible" for the "physical abuse" of Nichols.

Additional officers are under investigation for department policy violations during the stop, Davis said.

Video from the traffic stop would be released "in the coming days" and will show that the incident "was heinous, reckless and inhumane," Davis said.

She promised full cooperation from the Memphis Police Department throughout federal and state probes into Nichols' death.

The big picture: The Nichols' family attorneys alleged earlier this week that video from the traffic stop showed police officers "beating" Nichols for three minutes.

Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin Ritz announced earlier in January that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI Memphis Field Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, opened a civil rights investigation into Nichols' death.

"Last week, Tyre Nichols tragically died, a few days after he was involved in an incident where Memphis Police Department officers used force during his arrest," Ritz's statement from then reads.

Catch up quick: According to a statement from the Memphis Police Department, officers stopped Nichols on Jan. 7 for "reckless driving."

Per police, as officers approached Nichols, "a confrontation occurred, and the suspect fled the scene on foot."

Police stated that "another confrontation" occurred between them and Nichols during the attempted arrest, and they ultimately took him into custody.

Nichols was taken to hospital "in critical condition" after complaining of shortness of breath, according to police. He died on Jan. 10, according to Crump and Antonio Romanucci, another attorney for the Nichols family.

The police department said the officers involved in the traffic stop were relieved of duty pending the outcome of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe, which it said is a routine action. The department did not say how many officers were relieved.

What they're saying: "I would like to share with the community what I told Mr. Nichols' family," Ritz said during a news conference Wednesday. "What I said was that the Department of Justice cares deeply about potential violations of constitutional rights here in Memphis and throughout America."

"I said we have opened a criminal civil rights investigation. I told them this federal civil rights investigation will be thorough, it will be methodical, and it will continue until we gather all the relevant facts," Ritz said.

State of play: The Shelby County medical examiner's office has yet to issue an official cause of death for Nichols, per NBC News.

However, Crump and Romanucci, the family's attorneys, released a statement Tuesday saying the family hired a forensic pathologist to conduct an independent autopsy, which was performed on Monday.

"We can state that preliminary findings indicate Tyre suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating, and that his observed injuries are consistent with what the family and attorneys witnessed on the video of his fatal encounter with police on January 7, 2023," per Crump and Romanucci's statement.

At a news conference on Monday, Romanucci said video of the traffic stop on Jan. 7 showed that Nichols was subjected to “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” for three minutes by police officers.

"He was a human piñata for those police officers," Romanucci said. "That is what we saw in that video." 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information.

What we know about Tyre Nichols' death after Memphis police traffic stop

Attorneys for Nichols' family said video of the stop showed police "beating" him for three minutes.

People holding signs showing Tyre Nichols in a church in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 23.

People holding signs showing Tyre Nichols in a church in Memphis, Tennessee, on Jan. 23. Photo: Brandon Dill for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Black Lives Matter

The U.S. government is investigating whether the civil rights of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee, were violated during his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="encounter with police officers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/12/24/police-deaths-high-george-floyd" data-vars-content-id="504359f3-73c6-4b75-ab9b-ebaeee925604" data-vars-headline="What we know about Tyre Nichols&#x27; death after Memphis police traffic stop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/12/24/police-deaths-high-george-floyd" target="_self">encounter with police officers</a>.The latest: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Attorneys representing Nichols&#x27; family" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccq7tYIIGN8" data-vars-content-id="504359f3-73c6-4b75-ab9b-ebaeee925604" data-vars-headline="What we know about Tyre Nichols&#x27; death after Memphis police traffic stop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccq7tYIIGN8" target="_blank">Attorneys representing Nichols&#x27; family</a> on Friday called for police reform after five former <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Memphis Police Department officers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/26/memphis-police-charged-tyre-nichols-death" data-vars-content-id="504359f3-73c6-4b75-ab9b-ebaeee925604" data-vars-headline="What we know about Tyre Nichols&#x27; death after Memphis police traffic stop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/26/memphis-police-charged-tyre-nichols-death" target="_self">Memphis Police Department officers</a> were each charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression over Nichol&#x27;s death.

Five former Memphis Police Department officers who were fired following the arrest of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after a forceful traffic stop, have been charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Shelby County jail.

The latest: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said officials will release footage of Nichols' arrest Friday after 7 p.m. ET.

Mulroy said former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith, who are also Black men, were each also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

Mulroy said his office met with the Nichols' family before the charges were filed. He said the investigation into and prosecutorial decision against the five officers were expedited "because of the extraordinary nature of the case."

"The actions of all of them resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols and they are all responsible," the district attorney said.

Catch up quick: The Memphis Police Department said in an initial release on Nichols' arrest that he was taken to the hospital "in critical condition" after two confrontations between officers and him after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Attorneys representing Nichols' family, Benjamin Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said Tyre died days later on Jan. 10 and that an independent preliminary findings from an independent autopsy revealed he "suffered extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating." 

Crump and Romanucci also alleged earlier this week that footage from the traffic stop, which has not yet been released to the public by state and local authorities, shows Nichols being subjected to “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” by police officers for three minutes.

The federal government opened an investigation earlier in January to determine whether Nichols' civil rights were violated by police during the encounter.

What they're saying: "Simply put, this shouldn't have happened," David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said during the Thursday press conference with Mulroy.

"I'm sickened by what I saw and what we've learned through our extensive and thorough investigation. I've seen the video," Rausch continued. "In a word, it's absolutely appalling. Let me be clear, what happened here does not at all reflect proper policing."  

Crump and Romanucci said in a statement after the officers were charged: "The news today from Memphis officials that these officers are being held criminally accountable for their deadly and brutal actions gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre," 

"This tragedy meets the absolute definition of a needless and unnecessary death," they added. 

The attorneys said they will hold a press conference at noon ET Friday.

President Biden said in a statement Thursday that "Tyre’s family deserves a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his death."

His death is a "painful reminder that we must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment, and dignity for all."

The big picture: Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis condemned the actions of the officers involved in Nichols' arrest, saying they were "directly responsible" for his "physical abuse" and that they had "a failing of basic humanity toward another individual."

Davis said the five officers were fired last week for violating departmental policies during the Jan. 7 stop and additional officers are under investigation for potential violations, though she did not say how many in total were being investigated.

She said footage of Nichols' arrest will show that the incident "was heinous, reckless and inhumane" when it is released "in the coming days."

Ahead of the video’s release, NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a statement Thursday called on Congressional leaders to watch it.

"Tell us what else you need to vote ‘yes’ on police reform. By failing to write a piece of legislation, you're writing another obituary. By failing to pass the legislation, you're passing on your sworn duty to protect the people," Johnson said.

Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated with additional developments and reporting, including charges against the five ex-Memphis police officers.

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"They are all responsible": 5 ex-cops involved in Tyre Nichols’ arrest charged with murder, DA says

Attorneys for Nichols' family alleged he died after being beaten by officers during a traffic stop.

The fiver former Memphis officer charged over Tyre Nichols' death.

The former Memphis officers charged over Tyre Nichols' death from left to right: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Justin Smith, Desmond Mills, Jr. Photo: The Memphis Police Department 

Five former Memphis Police Department officers who were fired following the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="arrest of Tyre Nichols" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-death" data-vars-content-id="527b77ad-47a9-4ff1-bd92-711d0ad65a7a" data-vars-headline="&quot;They are all responsible&quot;: 5 ex-cops involved in Tyre Nichols’ arrest charged with murder, DA says" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-death" target="_self">arrest of Tyre Nichols</a>, a 29-year-old Black man who died days after a forceful traffic stop, have been charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Shelby County jail.The latest: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said officials will release footage of Nichols&#x27; arrest Friday after 7 p.m. ET.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said Friday that video of the arrest of Tyre Nichols shows "unconscionable" behavior from the five former officers who have each been charged with second-degree murder over Nichols' death. 

Driving the news: Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died days after a forceful traffic stop. Attorneys for his family have alleged that footage from the stop — set to be released later Friday evening —shows Nichols being subjected to “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” by police officers for three minutes. 

What they're saying: "You're going to see acts that defy humanity. You're going to see a disregard for life," Davis told CNN's "This Morning." "Duty of care that we're all sworn to. And a level of physical interaction that is above and beyond what is required in law enforcement."

"And I'm sure that, you know, as I said before, that individuals watching will feel what the family felt. And if you don't, then you're not a human being," the police chief continued.

She said, in her assessment, the video is worse than footage from the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department officers.

The video will be uploaded on YouTube by the department on Friday night.

The department, through an initial review of footage, has not been able to substantiate its earlier claim that Nichols was driving recklessly, the police chief said.

Davis went further, saying the cameras did not record any evidence of probable cause for the traffic stop. 

Nichols was pulled over just blocks away from his home by a specialized police unit, called " SCORPION," which was created in 2021 to bring down crime levels in particular areas, Davis said.

The department is also reviewing previous arrests and footage from the unit, she said.

Davis said she could not "remove myself from responsibility" over the incident.

"The accountability is throughout the police department, all the way up to the chief," she said.

Davis said two paramedics are also under investigation by the Memphis fire chief over their actions throughout the incident. Based on her assessment of the footage, they delayed giving care to Nichols.

"They just stood by. They did begin to render care and concern, but it was long after several minutes."

Ahead of the video’s release, NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a statement Thursday called on Congressional leaders to watch it and pass police reforms.

"By failing to write a piece of legislation, you're writing another obituary. By failing to pass the legislation, you're passing on your sworn duty to protect the people," Johnson said.

Cities around the country have braced for protests after the video is released. Nichols' mother,  RowVaughn Wells, asked that protests be peaceful. 

"I don’t want us burning up our city, tearing up the streets because that is not what my son stood for,” Wells said at a vigil, according to local media. “If you guys are here for Tyre and me, then you will protest peacefully.”

The big picture: Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Thursday the five police officers, who are also Black men, were also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. 

Go deeper: "They are all responsible": 5 ex-cops involved in Tyre Nichols’ arrest charged with murder, DA says

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information and context.

She said, in her assessment, the video is worse than footage from the 1991 beating of Rodney King.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis said Friday that video of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the arrest of Tyre Nichols" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-death" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-death" target="_self">the arrest of Tyre Nichols</a> shows &quot;unconscionable&quot; behavior from the five former officers <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="who have each been charged" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/26/memphis-police-charged-tyre-nichols-death" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/26/memphis-police-charged-tyre-nichols-death" target="_self">who have each been charged</a> with second-degree murder over Nichols&#x27; death. Driving the news: Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died days after a forceful traffic stop. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Attorneys for his family" data-vars-click-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnFOWnS3xmA&amp;t=1082s" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnFOWnS3xmA&amp;t=1082s" target="_blank">Attorneys for his family</a> have alleged that footage from the stop — set to be released later Friday evening —shows Nichols being subjected to “unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating” by police officers for three minutes.

The Department of Justice on Friday announced three new arrests related to an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill a New York-based journalist and human rights activist who was critical of the Iranian government.

Why it matters: The Justice Department alleged that the three arrested men were members of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran and were tasked with killing the victim, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who was previously the target of other intimidation, harassment and kidnapping plots by the Iranian government.

The department said the victim, who has publicly identified herself as American journalist Masih Alinejad, has published stories about human rights abuses and political suppression committed by the Iranian government, including during recent nationwide protests in the country.

What they're saying: Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking Friday at the Justice Department, said the victim has publicized the Iranian government's discriminatory treatment of women, its suppression of democratic participation and expression, and its use of arbitrary imprisonment, torture and execution.

"The Department of Justice will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to undermine those protections and the rule of law upon which our democracy is based. We will not tolerate attempts by a foreign power to threaten, silence, or harm Americans.  We will stop at nothing to identify, find, and bring to justice those who endanger the safety of the American people," Garland said.

"The law enforcement action today is the latest U.S. disruption of plotting activities against this victim and other Americans," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday in a statement. "It follows a disturbing pattern of Iranian Government-sponsored efforts to kill, torture, and intimidate into silence activists for speaking out for the fundamental rights and freedoms of Iranians around the world."

The big picture: In a 25-page indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, defendants Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov and Khalid Mehdiyev, who also went by several aliases and codenames, are charged with murder-for-hire, money-laundering and conspiracy.

The indictment details the organization of the plot and steps taken by the defendants to carry it out, including Mehdiyev's repeated surveillance and reconnaissance of the victim's home and activities.

Amirov was taken into custody in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 26. Mehdiyev was arrested in July 2022. Omarov was arrested in the Czech Republic on Jan. 4 and the U.S. has requested his extradition.

Mehdiyev was also charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  

The DOJ said other members of the Eastern European criminal organization have previously committed murders, kidnappings, assaults and extortions.

Go deeper: UK condemns Iran over "barbaric" execution of dual citizen Alireza Akbari

DOJ announces arrests over alleged Iranian plot to kill U.S. journalist

It alleged the three men were members of an Eastern European criminal group with ties to Iran.

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaking inside the Department of Justice on Jan. 27.

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaking at the Department of Justice on Jan. 27. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Iran

The Department of Justice on Friday announced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="three new arrests" data-vars-click-url="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-charges-and-new-arrest-connection-assassination-plot-directed" data-vars-content-id="d193d2fc-55a8-42e5-a70b-fd8dc5730c1e" data-vars-headline="DOJ announces arrests over alleged Iranian plot to kill U.S. journalist" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-attorney-announces-charges-and-new-arrest-connection-assassination-plot-directed" target="_blank">three new arrests</a> related to an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill a New York-based journalist and human rights activist who was critical of the Iranian government.Why it matters: The Justice Department alleged that the three arrested men were members of an Eastern European criminal organization with ties to Iran and were tasked with killing the victim, a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin who was previously the target of other intimidation, harassment and kidnapping plots by the Iranian government.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

Jacob Knutson

Stories

City of Memphis releases footage of police fatally beating Tyre Nichols

What we know about Tyre Nichols' death after Memphis police traffic stop

DOJ announces arrests over alleged Iranian plot to kill U.S. journalist

Memphis police chief: Video of Tyre Nichols arrest shows acts that "defy humanity"

"They are all responsible": 5 ex-cops involved in Tyre Nichols’ arrest charged with murder, DA says