Three former Memphis officers were acquitted Wednesday of all state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he ran from a traffic stop in January 2023. His death sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reforms in the U.S.
An out-of-town jury from a majority-white county took about eight and a half hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis, which is majority-Black. After the jury’s verdict was read, the defendants hugged their lawyers as relatives of the former officers cried. Outside the courtroom, one relative yelled, “Thank you, Jesus!”
Martin Zummach, Smith’s attorney, told The Associated Press by text: “It’s easy to defend a good person. It’s nerve racking to represent an innocent man.”
The three defendants still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last October, though they were acquitted of the most serious charges there, too. Two other former officers previously pleaded guilty in both state and federal court, including Emmitt Martin, who defence attorneys blamed for the majority of the violence.
Bean and Smith are out on bond and under house arrest after their federal convictions. Haley is being held in federal prison.
Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, fled a traffic stop after he was yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and hit with a Taser. Five officers who are also Black caught up with him and punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. They struggled to handcuff Nichols as he called out for his mother just steps from his home. Nichols died on Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating.
Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries, video that prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis.
Family of Tyre Nichols ‘devastated’
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols’ family, issued a statement expressing outrage at the outcome of the trial.
“Today’s verdicts are a devastating miscarriage of justice,” the statement read. “The world watched as Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve.”
Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he respects the jury but thinks the evidence was there for every charge that prosecutors brought.
“Was I surprised that there wasn’t a single guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser-included offences, given the overwhelming evidence that we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for it? No.”
He said he spoke to Nichols’ family briefly and, “They were devastated. … I think they were outraged, and we can understand why they would be outraged, given the evidence.”
Former Memphis officers Desmond Mills Jr. and Martin, who were also involved in the beating, did not stand trial in state court after they agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. They also pleaded guilty in federal court, where sentencing for all five officers is pending.
At trial, defence attorneys emphasized that Martin kicked and punched Nichols several times in the head.
The defence also seemed to score points with their use-of-force experts, who testified that the three officers on trial acted in compliance with police department policies and widely accepted law enforcement standards. Attorneys for Bean and Smith called character witnesses who testified that the men were good officers who did their jobs the right way.
Mills testified for the prosecution, saying he regrets his failure to stop the beating, which led to Nichols’ death from blunt force trauma. Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain, Dr. Marco Ross, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, said in court testimony.
The officers had been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. In addition to beating Nichols, prosecutors also said the officers failed to intervene and failed to tell medical personnel that Nichols had been hit repeatedly in the head.
Mills acknowledged on the stand that he had a duty to intervene, but didn’t. He admitted Nichols never punched or kicked any of the officers.
But Mills also bolstered the defence’s case when he said Nichols was actively resisting arrest and not complying with orders to present his hands to be cuffed. Under cross-examination, he indicated he would not have struck Nichols if Nichols had put his hands behind his back. He also agreed that an officer is not safe until a suspect is handcuffed and searched for a weapon.
Zummach noted in closing arguments that credit and debit cards that did not belong to Nichols were found in his car when it was searched after the beating and said it was likely why Nichols ran from the traffic stop. Defence lawyers have argued that the fatal beating would not have taken place if Nichols had just allowed himself to be handcuffed.
Jury selected from Hamilton County
The jury for the state trial was chosen in Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes Memphis.
Defence lawyers for the officers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury difficult.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman told reporters outside the courtroom that the Chattanooga area was chosen for jury selection after the city was shown in a study to have the least amount of pre-trial publicity among Tennessee’s largest cities.
In December, the U.S. Justice Department said an investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people.
The five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief are being sued by Nichols’ family for $550 million US. A trial has been scheduled for next year.
