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New York Times
08-05-2025
- New York Times
In Tyre Nichols Case, an Out-of-Town Jury Heard a Familiar Police Defense
Even before the state trial began last month for the former police officers charged with fatally beating Tyre Nichols in Memphis, the defense notched an important victory. The officers' lawyers persuaded the judge to seat a jury from the area around Chattanooga, Tenn., hundreds of miles from where surveillance and body cameras captured the officers brutalizing Mr. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, in January 2023. Given how the videos had horrified Memphis, the lawyers said, they questioned whether local jurors could consider the facts impartially when the former officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith — went on trial. Once the trial started, the defense lawyers took turns deflecting blame for the violence onto two other officers who were involved that night but were not on trial after pleading guilty. They also frequently reminded the jury of how dangerous policing can be, and of how their training allows for certain types of force at times. 'These cops serve in the most dangerous unit in the most dangerous city in the United States,' said Martin Zummach, a lawyer for Mr. Smith, noting the high crime rate in Memphis. He later described the officers as 'doing a job that none of us in here have the guts to do, to keep us safe.' All of those tactics are part of the playbook for defending police officers charged with excessive force and, some experts said, likely factored into the unanimous acquittal on all charges for all three defendants on Wednesday. 'The reason they're fairly standard, the reason that we have that playbook, is because it works,' said Seth Stoughton, a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, though he added that the verdict 'surprised the hell out of me' because of the violence captured on video. Mr. Stoughton also noted that 'there's a huge difference between society saying, 'We endorse the officers' actions in this case,' and society saying, 'We don't have sufficient proof of guilt here.'' The killing of Mr. Nichols is one the highest profile cases that prosecutors have brought against police officers in the five years since the murder of George Floyd. All of the charged officers are Black. All three officers were found guilty of witness tampering in a separate federal trial last fall, and Mr. Haley was found guilty on a lesser charge of violating Mr. Nichols's civil rights by causing bodily injury. They were all acquitted, however, on the most serious civil rights charge of violating his civil rights by causing his death. But the acquittal on Wednesday on an array of state charges, including second-degree murder, adds to a mixed record of convictions, acquittals and at least one mistrial for police officers and emergency workers since Mr. Floyd's death. For many in Memphis, a city of more than 600,000 where more than a third of Tennessee's Black residents live, the acquittal was a wrenching outcome that contradicted what they saw on video. 'Those people were allowed to come here, look at the evidence and deny the evidence,' said RowVaughn Wells, Ms. Nichols's mother, flanked by an emotional crowd gathered Thursday outside the Memphis museum that stands where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. She added, 'they failed my son.' Some policing experts said it demonstrated how likely a jury is to give leeway to law enforcement figures and the split-second calculations they must sometimes make in a job with high risks. To prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, prosecutors had to show not only that the violence occurred, but that it was unlawful, Mr. Stoughton said. Jurors also had to grapple with the familiar question of how much lethal force is justifiable when framed as a matter of an officer's safety. Michael Sierra-Arévalo, a sociologist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said that while it is not unconstitutional for police officers to assume someone is going to hurt them, it can lead to behaviors and justification of certain actions that are. The defense lawyers framed Mr. Nichols as a strong person who could hold his own against the officers, noting that he ran from them at one point after he was stopped for speeding. They also pointed to stolen cards and small amounts of marijuana and psilocybin mushroom they said were found in his car after the beating. Another factor that helped the defense was that the two other former officers involved in the beating, Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin III, were not on trial. Both pleaded guilty in the federal case; Mr. Mills also pleaded guilty in the state case and testified as part of his deal with the state. It is unclear how Mr. Martin's state case will be handled; his lawyer did not respond to multiple requests for comment and state prosecutors said they would wait for federal sentencing to decide their next move. Prosecutors acknowledged that the absence of Mr. Mills and Mr. Martin from the row of defendants offered an opportunity for defense lawyers to more easily absolve their clients of legal culpability. On the video footage of the incident, Mr. Martin yanked Mr. Nichols out of his car and then, after Mr. Nichols broke away and was caught by officers, repeatedly kicked and punched him in the head. Mr. Mills, who appeared after Mr. Nichols was caught near his mother's house, hit him multiple times with a baton. 'Because two of the most culpable of the five defendants pled over in federal court and were not present in the state court trial, I think there was a structural challenge going in,' Steven J. Mulroy, the district attorney for Shelby County, said in an interview Thursday. 'I still think there was more than enough evidence to convict.' He added, 'I think we have a long way to go in understanding the nature of the duty to intervene.' In Memphis, it also did not go unnoticed that the state jury was predominantly white. 'One of the new experiences I have had, sitting in that courtroom, is watching an all-white jury attempt to humanize three Black men in a murder trial who were defendants,' said Dr. Earle Fisher, the senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis. 'And they only did it because they were police officers.' The response in Memphis was swift when Mr. Nichols died three days after the beating, from blunt force injuries to his head. The elite policing unit that the officers belonged to was disbanded less than a month after the beating. Last year, a Justice Department civil rights investigation found a pattern of inequitable treatment toward Black people by the police force. Chief Cerelyn Davis of the Memphis Police Department said in a video statement on Wednesday that 'we believe in improved policing, in training and in progress we are seeing daily.' But the Republican-dominated Tennessee Legislature overturned some of the changes that the Memphis City Council approved in the aftermath. President Trump late last month signed an executive order instructing his administration to provide legal aid to officers accused of wrongdoing. And already in his second term, there has been an exodus from the civil rights division of the Justice Department, which prosecuted the federal case against the officers. The department ordered an immediate halt to all new civil rights investigations shortly after Mr. Trump took office, as well as a pause on negotiating so-called consent decrees, which serve as legally binding improvement plans for police departments. Before Mr. Trump took office, Memphis city officials had declined to enter such an agreement with the government, saying it would be labor intensive and costly. Some Memphis residents saw the verdict as evidence of a shift in the country's attitudes toward policing and racial inequality. 'The justice system doesn't seem to be working very well right now,' said DeMarcus Gatlin, 48, a disabled Army National Guard veteran. 'This has been going on a long time,' Mr. Gatlin said, adding, 'sooner or later, by the numbers, this will happen again.'
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
3 ex-Memphis officers in Tyre Nichols trial get verdict of not guilty in state court
Three former Memphis officers were acquitted Wednesday of all state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he ran away from a traffic stop, a death that sparked nationwide protests and prompted renewed calls for police reforms in the U.S. An out-of-town jury from a majority-White county took about 8 1/2 hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis, which is majority-Black. After the jury's verdict was read, the defendants hugged their lawyers as relatives of the former officers cried. One relative yelled, "Thank you, Jesus!" Martin Zummach, Smith's attorney, told The Associated Press by text: "It's easy to defend a good person. It's nerve racking to represent an innocent man." The three defendants still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges, though they were acquitted of the most serious charges there, too. Two other former officers previously pleaded guilty in both state and federal court, including Emmitt Martin, who defense attorneys blamed for the majority of the violence. Bean and Smith are out on bond and under house arrest after their federal convictions. Haley is being held in federal prison. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, fled a traffic stop after he was yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and hit with a Taser. The five officers, who are also Black, caught up with him and punched, kicked and hit Nichols with a police baton, struggling to handcuff him as he called out for his mother just steps from his home. Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. Footage of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries. The video prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Nichols' family, issued a statement expressing outrage at the trial. "Today's verdicts are a devastating miscarriage of justice," the statement reads. "The world watched as Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve." Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he respects the jury but thinks the evidence was there for every charge that prosecutors brought. "Was I surprised that there wasn't a single guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser-included offenses, given the overwhelming evidence that we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for it? No," he said. He said he spoke to Nichols' family briefly and, "They were devastated. ... I think they were outraged, and we can understand why they would be outraged, given the evidence." Former Memphis officers Desmond Mills Jr. and Martin, who were also involved in the beating, did not stand trial in state court after they agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. They also pleaded guilty in federal court, where sentencing for all five officers is pending. Mulroy referred to Martin and Mills in his comments after Wednesday's verdict, telling reporters that the two defendants who he said were "most culpable" in the case weren't in the courtroom. "That doesn't mean that the remaining three defendants weren't culpable," he said. As for the acquittal, the DA said, "It's hard to get inside the mind of the jury." At trial, defense attorneys emphasized that Martin kicked and punched Nichols several times in the head. The defense also seemed to score points with their use-of-force experts, who testified that the three officers on trial acted in compliance with police department policies and widely accepted law enforcement standards. Attorneys for Bean and Smith called character witnesses who testified that the men were good officers who did their job the right way. Mills testified for the prosecution, saying he regrets his failure to stop the beating, which led to Nichols' death from blunt force trauma. Nichols suffered tears and bleeding in the brain, Dr. Marco Ross, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, said in court testimony. The three officers had been charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. In addition to beating Nichols, prosecutors also said the officers failed to intervene and failed to tell medical personnel that Nichols had been hit repeatedly in the head. Mills acknowledged on the stand that he had a duty to intervene, but didn't. He admitted Nichols never punched or kicked any of the officers. But Mills also bolstered the defense's case when he said Nichols was actively resisting arrest and not complying with orders to present his hands to be cuffed. Under cross-examination, he indicated he would not have struck Nichols if Nichols had put his hands behind his back. He also agreed that an officer is not safe until a suspect is handcuffed and searched for a weapon. Zummach noted in closing arguments that credit and debit cards that did not belong to Nichols were found in his car when it was searched after the beating and said it was likely why Nichols ran from the traffic stop. Defense lawyers have argued that the fatal beating would not have taken place if Nichols had just allowed himself to be handcuffed. "This is Emmitt Martin's and Tyre Nichols' doing," Zummach said. The jury for the state trial was chosen in Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, after Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the case be heard from people outside of Shelby County, which includes Memphis. Defense lawyers for the officers had argued that intense publicity made seating a fair jury difficult. Defense lawyers also claimed Bean and Smith could not see the strikes to Nichols' head because they were blinded by pepper spray and they had tunnel vision as they tried to restrain Nichols. But prosecutors sowed doubt on that claim by pointing to comments the defendants made after the beating. According to footage from the scene, Bean said Nichols was "eating" the blows and Smith said they hit Nichols with "so many pieces," or punches. Smith also said "hit him" and Haley said "beat that man," prosecutor Tanisha Johnson said. In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people. The five officers, the city of Memphis and the police chief are being sued by Nichols' family for $550 million. A trial has been scheduled for next year.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. More from Ohio Father Denied Bond For Allegedly Killing Deputy After Son Was Shot And Killed By Police A$AP Rocky Says Denzel Washington Listens To Rappers From This Southern City The Most Texas Judge Receives Death Threats After Lowering Bail For Teen Accused Of Murder
CNN
08-05-2025
- CNN
What we know about Tyre Nichols' fatal beating and the officers involved
See all topics Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted Wednesday of state charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, concluding a fraught two-year examination of the brutal encounter that led to a parade of firings, two trials and escalating demands for national police reform. Five officers faced state and federal charges in connection with Nichols' death in January 2023, but two – Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin – pleaded guilty and ultimately went on to testify against the three officers who maintained their innocence. Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty Wednesday on all state charges, including second-degree murder. Though the three men still face the possibility of years in prison after being convicted on federal charges last year, they have avoided the harshest charges leveled against them. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was hospitalized in critical condition after the arrest and died three days later from injuries sustained during the beating. Graphic footage of the encounter – captured by police pole cameras and body-worn cameras – was released to the public and examined in excruciating detail during both trials. Nichols' death fueled nationwide protests against police brutality, particularly against Black men, and heightened scrutiny of police in Memphis, a majority-Black city. All officers charged in the case were Black, and a Department of Justice investigation found the Memphis Police Department engages in 'discriminatory policing of Black people.' Sentencing on both the state and federal charges remain pending. Here is what you need to know. Memphis police initially said Nichols, a father, skateboarder and photographer, was pulled over on January 7, 2023, on suspicion of reckless driving. Police Chief Cerelyn 'CJ' Davis later told CNN authorities were unable to substantiate the reason for the stop. Footage of the encounter shows officers repeatedly threaten Nichols with violence, even as he appeared to comply with their commands or was already on the ground. Disciplinary hearing records show Nichols was never told why he was being pulled over or that he was under arrest. Related card Officers on trial:Examining the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols Nichols fled on foot after being yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and struck with a Taser. Five officers – those who were later charged – caught him and punched, shoved and kicked him in the face and head as he cried out for his mother. Footage also shows officers standing around Nichols after the beating - some talking and laughing - and not appearing to render aid. Nichols was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died three days later, on January 10. Medical examiners determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head. He had tearing and rupturing in his brain and had suffered cuts and bruising all over his body. Six Memphis police officers were fired for their involvement in the fatal traffic stop. All but one – Preston Hemphill – were later charged at both the federal and state levels for their actions that night. The officers were all part of the force's controversial SCORPION unit – created to tackle rising crime in the city and disbanded amid national outcry and allegations of pervasive policing abuses following Nichols' death. None of the fired officers had previously been disciplined for excessive force, according to their personnel records. Hemphill, who is White, was only present at the initial stop and did not pursue Nichols alongside the other officers, prosecutors said. He was not criminally charged but was fired and cited by the department for policy violations. After Nichols fled, Hemphill was captured on bodycam footage saying, 'I hope they stomp his a**.' Haley was one of the first officers to make physical contact with Nichols, dragging him out of the car before officers Hemphill and Martin begin helping pin him to the ground. Haley deployed pepper spray and was later is recorded kicking Nichols in the torso alongside Martin. Haley later admitted to snapping a photo of Nichols after he was beaten and sending it to at least five people, including two other officers, a civilian employee and a 'female acquaintance.' Moments after Nichols was brought to the ground at the second location, Smith and Bean were recorded punching him in the face. Martin can be seen kicking Nichols as other officers attempt to handcuff him, then punching him in the face five times as officers hold Nichols' hands behind his back. Mills, who was only present at the second scene, pepper-sprayed Nichols twice and beat him with a police baton, video shows. Nichols' death fueled growing national outrage and protests against police brutality and led to both state and federal criminal charges against the officers involved. Haley, Martin, Bean, Smith and Mills were charged by the state of Tennessee with seven counts each, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. The five officers were also indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of deprivation of rights, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Initially, all pleaded not guilty but Martin and Mills reversed course, later accepting plea deals. Mills and Martin agreed to plead guilty to some federal charges, as well as all state charges, and did not stand trial. The federal trial of Bean, Haley and Smith ended in a mixed verdict, with the officers acquitted of some of the more serious charges. All three were convicted of witness tampering. Haley was also convicted of conspiracy to witness tampering and violating Nichols' civil rights causing bodily injury but was acquitted of the more severe charge of violating Nichols' civil rights causing death. A Tennessee jury found Bean, Haley and Smith not guilty on all state charges. During the state trial, prosecutors argued the officers used unnecessary force against Nichols, saying they were frustrated, angry and pumping with adrenaline after Nichols fled. They also said the officers failed their duty to intervene or inform medics that Nichols had bit hit repeatedly in the head. The defense claimed Martin, who was not facing trial, was responsible for the majority of the violence and called several use-of-force experts who testified the officers on trial acted in compliance with police department policy and law enforcement standards. All five officers now await sentencing in both cases, though prosecutors have already agreed to recommendations of 15-year sentences for Mills and Martin. In the aftermath of Nichols' death, the US Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the city of Memphis and its police department. The report, released in December under the Biden administration, concluded that Memphis police engage in a pattern of excessive force, illegal traffic stops and disproportionate targeting of Black people in the majority-Black city. The Justice Department recommended placing the police department under federal oversight, but city officials refused to enter an agreement with the federal agency over changes within the department. It remains unclear what will happen to the Justice Department's recommendations or negotiations with Memphis officials under President Donald Trump. Shortly after Trump's inauguration, a Justice Department official sent a memo to the agency's civil rights division ordering it to halt agreements that may require reform in police departments. Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, continues to press for justice and accountability from the police department for her son's death, and has filed a $550 million civil lawsuit against the city and police department, saying Nichols' death was the result of ' unconstitutional policies, practices, customs, and deliberate indifference by the City of Memphis' and its police leadership. The civil lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in July 2026.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
What we know about Tyre Nichols' fatal beating and the officers involved
Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted Wednesday of state charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, concluding a fraught two-year examination of the brutal encounter that led to a parade of firings, two trials and escalating demands for national police reform. Five officers faced state and federal charges in connection with Nichols' death in January 2023, but two – Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin – pleaded guilty and ultimately went on to testify against the three officers who maintained their innocence. Former officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty Wednesday on all state charges, including second-degree murder. Though the three men still face the possibility of years in prison after being convicted on federal charges last year, they have avoided the harshest charges leveled against them. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was hospitalized in critical condition after the arrest and died three days later from injuries sustained during the beating. Graphic footage of the encounter – captured by police pole cameras and body-worn cameras – was released to the public and examined in excruciating detail during both trials. Nichols' death fueled nationwide protests against police brutality, particularly against Black men, and heightened scrutiny of police in Memphis, a majority-Black city. All officers charged in the case were Black, and a Department of Justice investigation found the Memphis Police Department engages in 'discriminatory policing of Black people.' Sentencing on both the state and federal charges remain pending. Here is what you need to know. How a traffic stop turned fatal Memphis police initially said Nichols, a father, skateboarder and photographer, was pulled over on January 7, 2023, on suspicion of reckless driving. Police Chief Cerelyn 'CJ' Davis later told CNN authorities were unable to substantiate the reason for the stop. Footage of the encounter shows officers repeatedly threaten Nichols with violence, even as he appeared to comply with their commands or was already on the ground. Disciplinary hearing records show Nichols was never told why he was being pulled over or that he was under arrest. Nichols fled on foot after being yanked out of his car, pepper-sprayed and struck with a Taser. Five officers – those who were later charged – caught him and punched, shoved and kicked him in the face and head as he cried out for his mother. Footage also shows officers standing around Nichols after the beating - some talking and laughing - and not appearing to render aid. Nichols was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died three days later, on January 10. Medical examiners determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head. He had tearing and rupturing in his brain and had suffered cuts and bruising all over his body. The officers involved Six Memphis police officers were fired for their involvement in the fatal traffic stop. All but one – Preston Hemphill – were later charged at both the federal and state levels for their actions that night. The officers were all part of the force's controversial SCORPION unit – created to tackle rising crime in the city and disbanded amid national outcry and allegations of pervasive policing abuses following Nichols' death. None of the fired officers had previously been disciplined for excessive force, according to their personnel records. The Memphis Police Department has terminated five police officers in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols. Top: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III. Bottom: Desmond Mills, Jr., Justin Smith - Memphis Police Dept. Hemphill, who is White, was only present at the initial stop and did not pursue Nichols alongside the other officers, prosecutors said. He was not criminally charged but was fired and c ited by the department for policy violations. After Nichols fled, Hemphill was captured on bodycam footage saying, 'I hope they stomp his a**.' Haley was one of the first officers to make physical contact with Nichols, dragging him out of the car before officers Hemphill and Martin begin helping pin him to the ground. Haley deployed pepper spray and was later is recorded kicking Nichols in the torso alongside Martin. Haley later admitted to snapping a photo of Nichols after he was beaten and sending it to at least five people, including two other officers, a civilian employee and a 'female acquaintance.' Moments after Nichols was brought to the ground at the second location, Smith and Bean were recorded punching him in the face. Martin can be seen kicking Nichols as other officers attempt to handcuff him, then punching him in the face five times as officers hold Nichols' hands behind his back. Mills, who was only present at the second scene, pepper-sprayed Nichols twice and beat him with a police baton, video shows. The charges against them Nichols' death fueled growing national outrage and protests against police brutality and led to both state and federal criminal charges against the officers involved. Haley, Martin, Bean, Smith and Mills were charged by the state of Tennessee with seven counts each, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. The five officers were also indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of deprivation of rights, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Former Memphis Police Department officers Demetrius Haley, center, Tadarrius Bean, left, and Justin Smith Jr., right, hug each other after they were acquitted of state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he ran away from a traffic stop. Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (Chris Day/Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network via AP, Pool) - Chris Day/Commercial Appeal/USA Today Network/AP Initially, all pleaded not guilty but Martin and Mills reversed course, later accepting plea deals . Mills and Martin agreed to plead guilty to some federal charges, as well as all state charges, and did not stand trial. The federal trial of Bean, Haley and Smith ended in a mixed verdict, with the officers acquitted of some of the more serious charges. All three were convicted of witness tampering. Haley was also convicted of conspiracy to witness tampering and violating Nichols' civil rights causing bodily injury but was acquitted of the more severe charge of violating Nichols' civil rights causing death. A Tennessee jury found Bean, Haley and Smith not guilty on all state charges. During the state trial, prosecutors argued the officers used unnecessary force against Nichols, saying they were frustrated, angry and pumping with adrenaline after Nichols fled. They also said the officers failed their duty to intervene or inform medics that Nichols had bit hit repeatedly in the head. The defense claimed Martin, who was not facing trial, was responsible for the majority of the violence and called several use-of-force experts who testified the officers on trial acted in compliance with police department policy and law enforcement standards. What happens next All five officers now await sentencing in both cases, though prosecutors have already agreed to recommendations of 15-year sentences for Mills and Martin. In the aftermath of Nichols' death, the US Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the city of Memphis and its police department. The report, released in December under the Biden administration, concluded that Memphis police engage in a pattern of excessive force, illegal traffic stops and disproportionate targeting of Black people in the majority-Black city. The Justice Department recommended placing the police department under federal oversight, but city officials refused to enter an agreement with the federal agency over changes within the department. MEMPHIS,TN- OCTOBER 21: Rodney Wells (L) and RowVaughn Wells, parents of Tyre Nichols, pose for a portrait next to Nichols' mural on October 21, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. Tyre Nichols was beaten by several Memphis police officers during a traffic stop in January of 2023, where he suffered a fatal traumatic brain injury. Jury members earlier this month found three of the officers guilty on different charges stemming from Nichols death. (Photo by Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images) - Joshua Lott/The/File It remains unclear what will happen to the Justice Department's recommendations or negotiations with Memphis officials under President Donald Trump. Shortly after Trump's inauguration, a Justice Department official sent a memo to the agency's civil rights division ordering it to halt agreements that may require reform in police departments. Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, continues to press for justice and accountability from the police department for her son's death, and has filed a $550 million civil lawsuit against the city and police department, saying Nichols' death was the result of ' unconstitutional policies, practices, customs, and deliberate indifference by the City of Memphis' and its police leadership. The civil lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in July 2026. CNN's Nick Valencia, Ryan Young, Matthew Gannon, Demetrius Pipkin, Mark Oliver, Kenneth Uzquiano, Claudia Morales, Paul Murphy, Selwyn Rocha and Yukari Schrickel contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at
