Ex-police officers acquitted of murder charges in Tyre Nichols beating death

by UB Center for Urban Studies · 05/08/2025

Three former officers charged with murder in the fatal beating of a black man that triggered nationwide protests against police brutality have been acquitted by a state jury in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tyre Nichols, who was beaten during a traffic stop in 2023, died three days after sustaining numerous blows to the head, according to a post-mortem report.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, Jr were found not guilty on all charges on Wednesday, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

All three have been convicted of separate federal charges, and still face long prison sentences.

Two other officers involved in the death, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills, have pleaded guilty to federal charges, avoiding trial.

Federal charges are ones that violate federal laws enacted by Congress. They are brought by the Department of Justice and usually carry stiff sentences.

The five officers, who are all black, were members of the Memphis police department’s Scorpion Task Force, a since-disbanded street unit that was tasked with bringing down crime levels in the city.

Max Matza May 7, 2025

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