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6d ago

Memphis Officers' Trial for Tyre Nichols' Death Highlights Testimony and Video Evidence

The state trial progresses with emotional testimony, video footage, and a co-defendant's admission of failing to intervene in the 2023 fatal beating.

A photograph of Tyre Nichols holding his child sits in the foyer of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church on February 1, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Overview

  • The trial of former Memphis officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith is underway, with charges including second-degree murder for the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols.
  • Prosecutors presented video footage showing Nichols being pepper-sprayed, tased, and beaten by officers as he called for his mother near his home.
  • Desmond Mills Jr., a co-defendant who pleaded guilty to federal charges, testified that he struck Nichols with a baton and failed to stop the assault, expressing regret for his inaction.
  • The jury, selected from Hamilton County to ensure impartiality, is hearing evidence of the officers' actions and failure to inform medical personnel of Nichols' head injuries.
  • The trial occurs against the backdrop of broader calls for police reform, the disbanding of the SCORPION Unit, and a $550 million wrongful death lawsuit by Nichols' family.