Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

Three Former Memphis Officers Acquitted in Tyre Nichols State Trial

The officers, previously convicted on federal obstruction charges, were found not guilty of all state charges in Nichols' 2023 beating death.

Image
Former Memphis Police Department officers Demetrius Haley, center, Tadarrius Bean, left, and Justin Smith Jr., right, hug each other after they were acquitted of state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he ran away from a traffic stop. Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (Chris Day/Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network via AP, Pool)
MEMPHIS,TN- OCTOBER 21: Rodney Wells (L) and RowVaughn Wells, parents of Tyre Nichols, pose for a portrait next to Nichols' mural on October 21, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. Tyre Nichols was beaten by several Memphis police officers during a traffic stop in January of 2023, where he suffered a fatal traumatic brain injury. Jury members earlier this month found three of the officers guilty on different charges stemming from Nichols death. (Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Memphis Police Department has terminated five police officers in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols. Top: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III. Bottom: Desmond Mills, Jr., Justin Smith

Overview

  • Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were acquitted of second-degree murder and other charges after a nine-day trial in Memphis state court.
  • The jury, selected from a majority-white county, deliberated for over eight hours before delivering the verdicts, which have drawn criticism from Nichols' family and advocates.
  • Two other former officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to state charges and testified against their colleagues during the trial.
  • The officers, all part of the now-disbanded SCORPION unit, still face federal sentencing after being convicted of obstruction charges in 2024.
  • Nichols' family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, continues to pursue a $550 million lawsuit against the city and police department.