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

The jury's verdict clears the officers of second-degree murder and other charges, while federal convictions and a $550 million civil suit remain unresolved.

Overview

  • Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were acquitted on all state charges, including second-degree murder, stemming from the January 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols.
  • The jury, selected from a majority-white county outside Memphis, deliberated for over eight hours before delivering the verdict after a nine-day trial.
  • The three officers still face federal sentencing for witness tampering convictions from 2024, though they were acquitted of the most serious federal charges.
  • Two other officers involved in the incident, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., pleaded guilty to state and federal charges and testified against their former colleagues.
  • Nichols’ family continues to pursue a $550 million civil lawsuit against the city of Memphis and its police department, with a trial scheduled for 2026.