The legal battle surrounding the death of Tyre Nichols took another turn this week as the City of Memphis filed a motion to dismiss a $550 million lawsuit brought forth by Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells. Her son died in January 2023 following a brutal confrontation during a traffic stop with five Memphis Police officers. According to Action News 5, the city's attorneys argue that the sum sought in damages would “essentially bankrupt” Memphis and have cited multiple grounds for dismissal, drawing into question the legal standards met by the allegations against the city and its officials.
Representing the city, attorneys request the judge to dismiss the suit with prejudice, which would prevent the same claims from being filed again, as reported by Local Memphis. Among the reasons for dismissal, they claim that Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn 'C.J.' Davis did not violate statutory or constitutional rights, thus warranting qualified immunity. Meanwhile, Wells' lawsuit alleges that the MPD and its Chief Davis were responsible for Nichols' death by disregarding the aggressive tactics of the SCORPION unit—of which the five officers were members—before the assault.
Moreover, Wells' suit accuses the city and several individuals, including the former officer Preston Hemphill and retired MPD Lt. Dewayne Smith, of contributing to Nichols' death. However, the city contends that the "rogue" actions of the five officers are not a reflection of its responsibility, as they highlighted that Wells must demonstrate the constitutional harms are "directly attributable to the City itself based on customs, practices, or policies," per FOX13 Memphis.
The legal strategy further points to the lack of connectedness between MPD's tactics and Nichols' death. Attorneys for the city maintain that Chief Davis's formation of the SCORPION unit does not represent an action that she should have known to violate established law. Wells had not adequately linked any specific policy—or lack thereof—to her son's fate, according to the city's lawyers. The lawsuit is scheduled for trial in July 2026, after being originally set for March 2025, which has provoked procedural sparring as the city seeks to avoid a financial burden that could result from the $550 million lawsuit outcome.
