By ADRIAN SAINZ

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Three former officers charged in the beating death of Tyre Nichols did not comply with Memphis Police Department training policies when they punched, kicked and hit the 29-year-old motorist after a January 2023 traffic stop, a police lieutenant testified Thursday.

Lt. Larnce Wright offered the testimony during the federal trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, which began Monday.

Also Thursday, jurors for the first time watched footage of Nichols being beaten from a police pole camera and body worn cameras. Wright trained the three men and their two former colleagues, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., who already have pleaded guilty to civil rights violations in the case.

RowVaughn Wells, Nichols’ mother, left the courtroom when the violent, expletive-filled video was shown. She has said she has not watched any of the videos of the attack since they were publicly released last year.

The officers can be heard on body camera footage repeatedly giving Nichols orders such as “give me your hands” and “lay down,” while issuing threats such as, “I’m going to baton the f— out of you.” Nichols was on the ground, with officers holding his arms, for much of the video.

Prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert repeatedly asked Wright if the officers were complying with departmental policies and training during the beating.

“No ma’am,” Wright said, adding that other officers “should have intervened” to stop the beating. Wright said an officer has a duty to physically intervene or call a supervisor to the scene if the officer sees another officer using more force than necessary.

The lieutenant said the officers should have used armbars, wrist locks and other soft hands tactics to handcuff Nichols, rather than punching and kicking him and hitting him with a baton.

“That wasn’t necessary if the goal is to get him in handcuffs,” Wright said.

Wright also noted that the officers kept ordering Nichols to give them his hands, when they already had them, and kept hitting him when Nichols was not a threat.

“I don’t understand the command, ‘give me your hands,’ when they already had his hands,” Wright said.

Wright said officers are trained to use only use force necessary to safely bring a person into custody, and to only match the force used by that person. Wright said police cannot use force as punishment.

A prosecutor said Wednesday that the officers were punishing Nichols for fleeing a traffic stop and that they just stood around during “crucial” minutes when Nichols’ heart stopped, when they could have helped him.

Bean, Haley and Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived the Nichols of his rights through excessive force and failure to intervene, and obstructed justice through witness tampering. Martin and Mills, who pleaded guilty, are expected to testify for prosecutors.

Nichols, who was Black, died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. Police video shows the five officers charged, who also are Black, beating Nichols as he yells for his mother about a block from her home. Video also shows the officers milling about and talking as Nichols struggles with his injuries.

Rachael Love, a nurse practitioner, testified Wednesday that Nichols had no pulse for 25 minutes until it was restored at the hospital.

An autopsy report shows Nichols died from blows to the head and that the manner of death was homicide. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and other areas.

All five officers belonged to the now disbanded Scorpion Unit crime suppression team and were fired for violating Memphis Police Department policies.

They were also charged with second-degree murder in state court, where they pleaded not guilty, although Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas. A trial date in state court has not been set.

Wells told reporters Wednesday that she hope for three guilty verdicts and for the world to know her son “wasn’t the criminal that they’re trying to make him out to be.”

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Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.

Spencer Bengard could hardly believe what he was hearing. Just days earlier, the pitcher had wrapped up his first full season of professional baseball and now he was being asked if he would like to go to Minneapolis to throw to major leaguers.

He thought it was a joke.

“I was like, ‘Really?’ ” Bengard said.

It wasn’t. Bengard was one of four minor-league pitchers — along with Jordan Carr, Cleiber Maldonado and Jack Noble — who had recently wrapped up their minor-league seasons that the Twins brought to town to the big leagues to throw to a quartet of injured players.

Rather than send Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Manuel Margot on the road to Columbus, Ohio, where the Triple-A Saints are currently playing, the Twins brought the live at-bats to them.

On Wednesday, in the hours before the ballpark was open to fans, Bengard was out throwing live batting practice, simulating four innings for the group.

Shortly after that concluded, the Twins activated Margot from the injured list, and after the game, the Twins announced Buxton would be back on Friday. The other two could soon follow.

For them, it was just a way to get a few more at-bats under their belt against live pitching before they returned. For Bengard, it was somewhat of a surreal experience.

“Being around the big leaguers is really cool,” he said. “Seeing all the clubhouse and all the amenities and stuff like that, it’s really amazing. Playing in a stadium like this is definitely the dream. Hopefully I’m up here one day, but it is definitely a great experience to see how it all works.”

Bengard finished the year with a 1.51 earned-run average across 83 1/3 innings pitched between Class-A Fort Myers and Class-A Advanced Cedar Rapids. He struck out 72 and walked 14, posting a 0.984 WHIP (Walks and Hits Per Innings Pitched) while stretching out as a starter.

And his year ended at Target Field, seeing how his stuff played against a group of major-league veterans, an experience he said “doesn’t really feel real.”

“It’s just a fun feeling when you see yourself getting better and just developing and getting closer to the big dream,” Bengard said.

Buxton’s return

The Twins were feeling good after Wednesday night’s win, a complete team effort that saw multiple players break out of slumps and the bullpen step up in a big way. Getting official word that Buxton was on his way back only helped lift the mood even higher.

The Twins have been without their center fielder for a month — he last played on Aug. 12 and was placed on the injured list a few days later. To make room on the roster, utilityman Austin Martin is headed back to Triple-A.

“I think it’s great for everyone because it’s just a glimmer of hope, no matter how we were feeling or what was going on in the past,” third baseman Royce Lewis said. “From the present on, and looking toward the future, to have Buck or Correa, all these guys coming back it seems like, it just gives us hope, and having them around is huge.”

Briefly

The Twins return to play on Friday when they play host to the Cincinnati Reds. Bailey Ober will start the game, which will begin at 7:10 p.m. … After winning two games against the Los Angeles Angels, the Twins’ odds before Thursday’s slate of games to make the playoffs were back up to 86.6 percent, per FanGraphs.

A preview at some of Friday’s top high school football games involving East Metro teams:

Lakeville North (2-0) at Lakeville South (1-1), 7 p.m.

It’s unfathomable the Cougars have won five straight editions of this rivalry, the latest victory coming in dramatic, almost miraculous fashion a year ago. Friday’s tilt will be another can’t-miss duel. But last week’s performance in which it roared back after falling behind Rosemount early suggests these Panthers may be unflappable, on top of extremely talented. Both traits will be required for a win Friday. OUR PICK: Lakeville North 24, Lakeville South 17

Forest Lake (1-1) at Mounds View (1-1), 7 p.m.

Jacob Sampson has given the Mustangs some real juice at quarterback. Apparent offensive improvement gives Mounds View a real chance to be a threat to win the Metro East this fall. But that offense faces a stiff test this week in the form of an always-solid, stout Rangers defense. OUR PICK: Forest Lake 20, Mounds View 17

Stillwater (1-1) at East Ridge (1-1), 7 p.m.

Two teams with the reputation of being pass-heavy offenses in the past that are demonstrating high-level balance through two games this fall. But Stillwater is the team having more success on the ground to date, with running back Emilio Rosario-Matias carving up opposing defenses who have to be worried about quarterback Nick Kinsey. OUR PICK: Stillwater 27, East Ridge 20

Maple Grove (2-0) at Centennial (1-1), 7 p.m.

Centennial won its first Class 6A state championship last fall. The only blemish on that slate was a Week 3 loss to then-defending champion Maple Grove, which put on a show to remind everyone it still had some bite. The always-dangerous Cougars aim to send a similar message this Friday after falling to Blaine last week. But the Crimson are a state title favorite this season for a reason. OUR PICK: Maple Grove 24, Centennial 14

St. Croix Lutheran (2-0) at Holy Family (2-0), 7 p.m.

Hat tip to Dan O’Brien, who has Holy Family Catholic potentially on the fringe of the Class 3A state title conversation in Year 2 of what was expected to be a massive rebuild. The Crusaders, who have some versatile athletes such as senior do-it-all man Matthew Beekman, would also like to be a part of those discussions, and could enter them with a win Friday. OUR PICK: Holy Family 31, St. Croix Lutheran 22

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