In a ruling that left a silent courtroom and a nation in shock, three former Memphis police officers were acquitted of all state charges in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man whose brutal beating during a traffic stop in January 2023 generated widespread outcry.
The jury found Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith not guilty on all counts of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and misconduct. After a tense, seven-day trial, the ruling was greeted with disbelief by many around the country who had watched the video.
Nichols’ death served as a flash point in the national discussion on police brutality, particularly given the horrifying video footage that captured what happened next. Body cam and surveillance footage, which Ithaca Police Department investigators are currently reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation, also depicted officers from the now-disbanded SCORPION unit mercilessly punching, kicking, and striking Nichols with a baton as he cried out for his mother. He died three days later. The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Nichols family, called the verdict “devastating.”
“Today’s verdict in the trial of the officers responsible for Tyre Nichols’ death is an absolute tragedy. “But we cannot allow the brutality by which he died to diminish the love by which he lived,” Crump said to the world, reminding it that, beyond a headline, Nichols was a son, a father, a skateboarder, and a soul that sought peace through a camera lens and the golden hues of a sunset.
Five officers were fired and charged on both state and federal levels, but the courtroom fights have been uneven. Martin and Mills have pleaded guilty and testified for the state. In a federal trial that was separate from the other three, Bean, Smith, and Haley were convicted of witness tampering, while Haley was convicted of violating Nichols’ civil rights. And yet again, at the state or federal level, none were convicted of the charges directly related to Nichols’ death.
The family of Nichols quietly walked out of the courtroom as the verdict was announced and did not comment to the media. But their silence is not a sign of surrender, Crump said.
“Tyre was a dad, a son, a skateboarder who loved sunsets and photography. He had so much more to live and see in life. His death has altered us forever, but his legacy will survive. We’ll make sure of it.”
The verdict set off renewed calls for systemic police reform, a conversation that had been getting louder following last year’s release of the video. For many, the verdict underlines the continuing challenge of holding law enforcement accountable even when the evidence of wrongdoing caught on video would appear overwhelming. The fight for justice in Tyre Nichols’ name, in Memphis and beyond, that much is inevitable.
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