3 former Memphis officers acquitted in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he fled a traffic stop [View all]
Source: AP
By ADRIAN SAINZ
Updated 2:40 PM CDT, May 7, 2025
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Three former Memphis officers were acquitted Wednesday of 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.
A jury, which appeared to be all white, 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. 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!”
The three defendants still face the prospect of years in prison after they were convicted of federal charges last year, though they were acquitted of the most serious charges then, too.
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. 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 and the incident directed intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, a majority-Black city.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-death-memphis-officers-trial-bad7bc4273fcc272f7b884d5d7386261
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