3 ex-Memphis police officers found not guilty of state charges in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 07, 2025 8:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Three erstwhile Memphis officers were acquitted Wednesday of each authorities charges, including second-degree murder, successful the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols aft helium ran from a postulation halt successful January 2023. His death sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for constabulary reforms successful the U.S.

An out-of-town assemblage from a majority-white region took astir 8 and a fractional hours implicit 2 days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not blameworthy connected each charges aft a nine-day proceedings successful authorities tribunal successful Memphis, which is majority-Black. After the jury's verdict was read, the defendants hugged their lawyers arsenic relatives of the erstwhile officers cried. Outside the courtroom, 1 comparative yelled, "Thank you, Jesus!"

Martin Zummach, Smith's attorney, told The Associated Press by text: "It's casual to support a bully person. It's nervus racking to correspond an guiltless man."

The 3 defendants inactive look the imaginable of years successful situation aft they were convicted of national charges last October, though they were acquitted of the astir superior charges there, too. Two different erstwhile officers antecedently pleaded blameworthy successful some authorities and national court, including Emmitt Martin, who defence attorneys blamed for the bulk of the violence.

Bean and Smith are retired connected enslaved and nether location apprehension aft their national convictions. Haley is being held successful national prison.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, fled a postulation halt aft helium was yanked retired of his car, pepper-sprayed and deed with a Taser. Five officers who are besides Black caught up with him and punched, kicked and deed him with a constabulary baton. They struggled to handcuff Nichols arsenic helium called retired for his parent conscionable steps from his home. Nichols died connected Jan. 10, 2023, 3 days aft the beating.

Footage of the beating captured by a constabulary rod camera besides showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing arsenic Nichols struggled with his injuries, video that prompted aggravated scrutiny of constabulary successful Memphis.

Family of Tyre Nichols 'devastated'

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Nichols' family, issued a connection expressing outrage astatine the result of the trial.

"Today's verdicts are a devastating miscarriage of justice," the connection read. "The satellite watched arsenic Tyre Nichols was beaten to decease by those sworn to support and serve."

Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy said helium respects the assemblage but thinks the grounds was determination for each complaint that prosecutors brought.

"Was I amazed that determination wasn't a azygous blameworthy verdict connected immoderate of the counts oregon immoderate of the lesser-included offences, fixed the overwhelming grounds that we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I person an mentation for it? No."

He said helium spoke to Nichols' household concisely and, "They were devastated. ... I deliberation they were outraged, and we tin recognize wherefore they would beryllium outraged, fixed the evidence."

Former Memphis officers Desmond Mills Jr. and Martin, who were besides progressive successful the beating, did not basal proceedings successful authorities tribunal aft they agreed to a plea woody with prosecutors. They besides pleaded blameworthy successful national court, wherever sentencing for each 5 officers is pending.

At trial, defence attorneys emphasized that Martin kicked and punched Nichols respective times successful the head.

The defence besides seemed to people points with their use-of-force experts, who testified that the 3 officers connected proceedings acted successful compliance with constabulary section policies and wide accepted instrumentality enforcement standards. Attorneys for Bean and Smith called quality witnesses who testified that the men were bully officers who did their jobs the close way.

Mills testified for the prosecution, saying helium regrets his nonaccomplishment to halt the beating, which led to Nichols' decease from blunt unit trauma. Nichols suffered tears and bleeding successful the brain, Dr. Marco Ross, the aesculapian examiner who performed the autopsy, said successful tribunal testimony.

The officers had been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, authoritative misconduct and authoritative oppression. In summation to beating Nichols, prosecutors besides said the officers failed to intervene and failed to archer aesculapian unit that Nichols had been deed repeatedly successful the head. 

Mills acknowledged connected the basal that helium had a work to intervene, but didn't. He admitted Nichols ne'er punched oregon kicked immoderate of the officers.

But Mills besides bolstered the defence's lawsuit erstwhile helium said Nichols was actively resisting apprehension and not complying with orders to contiguous his hands to beryllium cuffed. Under cross-examination, helium indicated helium would not person struck Nichols if Nichols had enactment his hands down his back. He besides agreed that an serviceman is not harmless until a fishy is handcuffed and searched for a weapon.

Zummach noted successful closing arguments that recognition and debit cards that did not beryllium to Nichols were recovered successful his car erstwhile it was searched aft the beating and said it was apt wherefore Nichols ran from the postulation stop. Defence lawyers person argued that the fatal beating would not person taken spot if Nichols had conscionable allowed himself to beryllium handcuffed.

Jury selected from Hamilton County

The assemblage for the authorities proceedings was chosen successful Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, aft Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the lawsuit beryllium heard from radical extracurricular of Shelby County, which includes Memphis.

Defence lawyers for the officers had argued that aggravated publicity made seating a just assemblage difficult.

Prosecutor Paul Hagerman told reporters extracurricular the courtroom that the Chattanooga country was chosen for assemblage enactment aft the metropolis was shown successful a survey to person the slightest magnitude 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 unit and discriminates against Black people.

The 5 officers, the metropolis of Memphis and the constabulary main are being sued by Nichols' household for $550 cardinal US. A proceedings has been scheduled for adjacent year.