Three of the five Memphis, Tennessee, police officers who were charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023 were acquitted of state charges on Wednesday.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were found not guilty of all charges by a jury that deliberated for two days, Fox 13 Memphis reported. The former police officers faced charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct, and official oppression. While the former officers celebrated their acquittal on state charges, they still face sentencing after being convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal trial.
The trial, which was carried out in front of an out-of-town jury from Hamilton County, Tennessee, took nine days. Prosecutors argued that Bean and Smith had a duty to intervene after their fellow officers, Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin, began kicking Nichols in the head while he was on the ground. Haley arrived on the scene after Martin first kicked Nichols and then kicked Nichols’ upper arm. According to prosecutors, Haley failed to step in and prevent escalating violence, adding that the former officer yelled, “Beat that man’s (expletive).” Haley’s defense attorney brought in a use-of-force expert during the trial who testified that Haley’s kick to Nichols’ arm was an attempt to get him into handcuffs, not to continue any violence.
Nichols got into a confrontation with the Memphis Police officers after he was pulled over on January 7, 2023. Nichols attempted to flee after being pepper-sprayed and got close to his mother’s home before the officers soon caught up with him and took him to the ground. Video footage from a camera mounted on a nearby pole showed Nichols being kicked and punched while he was on the ground. The 29-year-old man died after being transported to a hospital.
“It’s hard for us to imagine how someone could say that none of the defendants were guilty of any of the charges,” said Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy. “I think that any fair-minded person who watched the video would come to the conclusion that everybody there had some responsibility for Tyre Nichols’ death.”
Some on the Left pointed to the beating death of Nichols to paint the police as racist, despite all five officers being black. Demonstrators marched in Memphis following Nichols’ death, demanding an end to “police terror” and claiming that police “uphold white supremacy.”
Demonstrators march in Memphis following the death of Tyre Nichols (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
All five officers accused of beating Nichols to death were fired from the Memphis Police Department shortly after his death. Bean and Smith face 20 years in federal prison after being found guilty of witness tampering. Haley could serve a life sentence in federal prison after being found guilty of using excessive force, being deliberately indifferent to Nichols’ medical needs, witness tampering, and conspiracy to witness tamper, USA Today reported.
Martin and Mills Jr. both took plea deals and testified during the federal trial, while Mills also testified during the state trial. Prosecutors recommended a 40-year prison sentence for Martin and a 15-year sentence for Mills, according to Fox 13. Sentencing for all five officers in the federal trial is expected to take place soon since the state trial has concluded.
