Memphis Police Officers Acquitted Of All Charges In Tyre Nichols Beating Trial
A controversial case had an equally conflicting ending in Memphis this week. The three police officers accused of beating a Black man to death in 2023 were found not guilty on all charges.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith faced second-degree murder charges, along with aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. The jury cleared them of all charges, and Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. ordered that they be released, prompting an emotional hug between the trio and their lawyers. It is worth noting that Bean, Haley, and Smith still face jail time for federal convictions related to Nichols' death.
'We respect the jury's decision, but we obviously strongly disagree with it,' Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told reporters. 'We, in good faith, brought this case, and I am convinced to this day that we had compelling evidence that showed that there was proof for every element of every one of the offenses that we charged. The jury took a different view. That is, of course, their right. That's the part of the decision.' Mulroy said that he was surprised not to see a single guilty verdict given the compelling evidence provided, and that he had no explanation for it. A police training officer and use-of-force expert even testified on their behalf, stating that the three officers' conduct was 'excessive' and 'unnecessary.'
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, legal representatives for Tyre Nichols' family, described the acquittal as a 'devastating miscarriage of justice,' and NAACP President Derrick Johnson echoed the sentiment. 'Tyre and his family deserve true justice — not only in the courtroom, but in Congress, by passing police reform legislation once and for all,' he said in statement. 'Traffic stops should never be a death sentence, and a badge should never — ever — be a shield to accountability.'
This trial stemmed from the three Memphis police officers pulling over the late Tyre Nichols, a FedEx employee and photographer, for alleged reckless driving back in January 2023. Footage showed them yelling at Nichols to get out of his car, and him responding that he didn't do anything.
They eventually got him down on the ground and tased and pepper-sprayed him before he escaped. They caught up with him and beat him some more while he yelled for his mother. Nichols died three days later, setting off another wave of police brutality protests around the country.
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