TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 10, 2026

Tyre Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells has requested that Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis be dismissed from a civil lawsuit in an effort to speed the case toward trial, according to the Commercial Appeal. Last month, Chief U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman of the Western District of Tennessee ruled that she will not split the civil case. Attorneys for Wells filed a motion to separate claims against Davis from the broader case and then dismissed her as a party, a move that came one day after Wells sought to dismiss former officers who faced criminal charges related to Nichols’ beating. In both filings, Wells’ attorneys argued that stays tied to those parties have delayed proceedings and that removing them would allow the case to move forward. Attorneys for the city of Memphis have objected to the motions, while attorneys representing the officers did not.