Tennessee Jury Acquits Three Ex-Memphis Officers of Murder in 2023 Tyre Nichols Death

A Tennessee jury on Wednesday acquitted three former Memphis police officers of all seven state counts—among them second-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping—stemming from the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols. The panel’s unanimous verdict clears the defendants of criminal liability under state law. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black motorist, was stopped for an alleged traffic violation on 7 January 2023 and was beaten after fleeing on foot. He died three days later. Video of the confrontation circulated widely and prompted nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of police use of force. The eight-day trial concluded with closing arguments on Monday and Tuesday. A 12-member jury selected from Chattanooga began deliberations Tuesday afternoon and reached its decision early Wednesday afternoon, after reviewing body-camera footage, forensic evidence and testimony from medical experts and investigators. While exonerated on state charges, the three officers still face potential prison terms after being convicted last year on separate federal civil-rights offenses related to the same incident. Sentencing in that case has not yet been scheduled.