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3d ago

Three Former Memphis Officers Acquitted of State Charges in Tyre Nichols Beating Death

The jury cleared the officers of all charges, including second-degree murder, in a case that has fueled calls for police reform and accountability.

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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)
FILE - Candles spell out the name of Tyre Nichols during a candlelight vigil for Nichols on the anniversary of his death, Jan. 7, 2024, in Memphis. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht, file)

Overview

  • Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were acquitted of state charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and kidnapping, after a nine-day trial and over eight hours of jury deliberation.
  • The jury, selected from outside Memphis due to concerns over pre-trial publicity, found insufficient grounds for conviction despite video evidence showing the officers beating Nichols during a chaotic traffic stop in January 2023.
  • Two other officers involved, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., had previously pleaded guilty to state and federal charges and testified against their colleagues, admitting failures to intervene and stop the violence.
  • The acquittals follow mixed verdicts in a 2024 federal trial, where the three officers were convicted of witness tampering but acquitted on civil rights charges related to Nichols' death.
  • Nichols' family, represented by attorney Ben Crump, called the verdicts a miscarriage of justice and continues to pursue a $550 million civil lawsuit against the city of Memphis and the police department, with trial set for 2026.