Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith made their first court appearances with their lawyers on Friday before a judge in Shelby County Criminal Court.
The officers were fired after an internal police investigation into the January 7 arrest of Nichols, 29, who died in a hospital three days later. His beating was caught on video.
At a news conference after the hearing, Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, said the officers didn't have the courage to look her in the eye, but "they're going to see me at every court date — every one — until we get justice for my son".
"I feel very numb right now," Wells said.
"And I'm waiting for this nightmare basically that I'm going through right now, I'm waiting for somebody to wake me up. I know that's not going to happen."
The officers pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. They are all out on bond. Their next hearing is scheduled for May 1.
The Nichols case is the latest to prompt nationwide protests and renew an intense public discussion about police brutality. Nichols was Black, as are all five officers charged in his death.
Nichols was stopped by police for an alleged traffic violation and was pulled out of his car by officers who used profanity, with at least one brandishing a gun. An officer hit Nichols with a stun gun, but Nichols ran away toward his nearby home, according to video footage released by the city.
The officers, part of a crime-suppression team known as Scorpion, caught up with Nichols and punched him, kicked him and slugged him with a baton as he yelled for his mother.
After the beating, officers stood by and talked with one another as Nichols struggled with his injuries on the ground, video showed. One officer took photos of Nichols as he was propped up against an unmarked police car, video and records showed.c
Nichols had been suspected of reckless driving, but no verified evidence of a traffic violation has emerged in public documents or in video footage.
One other white officer who was involved in the initial traffic stop was fired. An additional officer who has not been identified was suspended.
Three Memphis Fire Department employees who were present at the site of the arrest were fired. Two Shelby County sheriff's deputies who also were there were suspended without pay.
