3 Former Memphis Police Officers Acquitted Of All State Charges In Fatal Be@ting Of Resident Tyre Nichols

3 Former Memphis Police Officers Acquitted Of All State Charges In Fatal Be@ting Of Resident Tyre Nichols

A Tennessee jury has found three former Memphis police officers not guilty of all state charges in the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black motorist whose violent beating in January 2023 fueled national outrage. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were acquitted of second-degree murder and other charges. Judge James Jones Jr. ordered their immediate release, and the three men tearfully embraced their attorneys.

Tyre Nichols, a FedEx employee and aspiring photographer, was pulled over at 8:24 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2023, for alleged reckless driving. “Get the f— out the f-—ing car!” an officer yelled. “I didn’t do anything,” Tyre Nichols responded.

Bodycam footage showed officers using pepper spray and a Taser before Nichols ran toward his mother’s home. Officers caught him 80 yards away and beat him as he screamed “Mom!”

A training officer called the force “unnecessary” and “excessive.” Prosecutors described the beating as a “street tax” for fleeing.