Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith Acquitted in 2023 Tyre Nichols Beating Case, Face Federal Convictions

Three former Memphis police officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, were acquitted on all state charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in 2023. The jury, selected from Hamilton County and appearing to be all white, took 8 1/2 hours over two days to reach this verdict after a nine-day trial in Memphis, Tennessee.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, died three days after being beaten by five officers from the Scorpion Unit following a traffic stop on January 7, 2023. The officers, who are also Black, were charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. Nichols was yanked from his car, pepper-sprayed, and hit with a Taser before he fled. The officers caught up with him, punching, kicking, and hitting him with a police baton as Nichols called out for his mother near his home. His death led to nationwide protests and calls for police reform.

The defense argued that Nichols resisted arrest, pointing to credit and debit cards found in his car that did not belong to him, suggesting this might have been why he fled the traffic stop. They claimed Nichols was not searched before he ran and that the officers acted within police department policies. Two other officers involved, Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin, had previously pleaded guilty to state and federal charges and did not stand trial. Despite the state acquittal, the three acquitted officers still face potential prison time due to federal convictions last year, although they were acquitted of the most serious federal charges. Nichols' autopsy revealed he died from blunt force trauma, with tears and bleeding in the brain, and toxicology reports showed he had alcohol and a small amount of marijuana in his system.