Three Memphis Officers Acquitted of State Charges in Tyre Nichols Case, Face Federal Sentencing

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Updated May 9, 2025, 12:43 AM

Three former Memphis police officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, were acquitted of all state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he fled a traffic stop in 2023. The jury, which appeared to be all white, reached this verdict after a nine-day trial in Memphis, Tennessee. The incident, which led to Nichols's death three days after the beating, sparked nationwide protests and intensified scrutiny on the Memphis Police Department. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was pulled from his car, pepper-sprayed, and tased before he ran away, only to be caught and beaten by the five Black officers. Despite the acquittal on state charges, the three officers still face the prospect of years in prison due to their convictions on federal charges last year, although they were acquitted of the most serious federal charges as well. Two other officers involved, Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin, have agreed to plead guilty to state charges and did not stand trial.

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#Memphis #Tadarrius Bean #Demetrius Haley #Justin Smith #Tyre Nichols #Tennessee #Nichols #Memphis Police Department #Black #Emmitt Martin

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Sources

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The Washington Times

@WashTimes

After three former Memphis police officers were acquitted Wednesday in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, community and civil rights leaders expressed outrage over another disappointment in the long push for police reform. https://t.co/JGKCah1T0B