A Tennessee state jury has acquitted three former police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man whose fatal beating sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.
On Wednesday, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith Jr. were found not guilty on all state charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct, and official oppression. The verdict followed more than eight hours of jury deliberation at the conclusion of a nine-day trial held in Hamilton County, over 300 miles from Memphis, to ensure jury impartiality.
Nichols died three days after a violent traffic stop in which he was repeatedly struck by police officers. A post-mortem report ruled his death a homicide caused by blunt-force trauma. Video footage from the incident shows Nichols being pulled over for alleged reckless driving, then fleeing after a confrontation involving pepper spray and a Taser. Officers caught up with him nearby and beat him while he cried out for his mother. 
All five officers involved were members of the now-disbanded Scorpion Task Force, a specialized Memphis Police unit aimed at reducing street crime. All five officers, including Bean, Haley, and Smith, are Black.
Although acquitted on state charges, the three officers were previously convicted in a federal trial. In 2024, they were found guilty of witness tampering, while Haley was also convicted of violating Nichols’ civil rights and showing deliberate indifference to his medical needs—charges that carry significant prison terms. Haley faces a possible life sentence, while Bean and Smith face up to 20 years each. Sentencing in the federal case had been postponed until the conclusion of the state trial.
Two other officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., avoided trial by pleading guilty to federal charges.
Reactions to the acquittals were swift and emotional. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy expressed disappointment, stating, “We respect the jury’s decision but strongly disagree with it.” Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Nichols family, called the verdicts “a devastating miscarriage of justice,” adding that the world witnessed Nichols being “beaten to death by those sworn to protect and serve.”
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the officers acted with excessive force in a situation that escalated beyond control. “It doesn’t take monsters to kill a man,” said prosecutor Paul Hagerman. Defense attorneys claimed Nichols was to blame for resisting arrest and fleeing.
In a separate 2024 report, the U.S. Department of Justice found that the Memphis Police Department routinely used excessive force, particularly against Black residents. This conclusion followed a 17-month federal investigation launched after Nichols’ death.
