After months in a federal trial, a jury is now deliberating the fate of three former Memphis police officers. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were fired from the Memphis Police Department after Tyre Nichols was beaten on Jan. 7, 2023.
The 29-year-old died days later from head injuries, according to an autopsy and a report from CNN. All three former officers pleaded not guilty to charges of excessive force, failure to intervene and obstructing justice through witness tampering.
Two other officers involved, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., struck a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty to depriving Nichols of his civil rights. In exchange, they testified for the prosecution.
In the courtroom, prosecutors accused the three former officers of wanting to punish Nichols for running from a traffic stop. The defense argued that Nichols had ignored officers’ commands and that the three followed the department’s protocol.
Video played during the trial shows officers using pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols. It also shows them punching and kicking him as he called out for his mother. He was less than a block away from his home.
All five officers have also been charged in state court, though a trial date has not yet been set.
