MEMPHIS, TN - On Wednesday, May 7th, a Tennessee jury found three former Memphis police officers not guilty of all state charges stemming from the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a black motorist who died two years ago.
According to NBC News, the former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were all found not guilty of second-degree murder, among several other charges in the death of Nichols. After the decision by the jury was announced, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the three men to be released immediately. However, the former officers are still on the hook for federal convictions connected to the incident.
The three officers and one-time colleagues Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin are set to be sentenced in federal court during the week of June 16th. According to the Associated Press (AP), Bean, Haley, and Smith were convicted on the federal level of witness tampering related to the alleged cover-up of the beating. Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges and Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols' civil rights causing death, but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury. Haley was also convicted of a conspiracy to witness tamper charge that the others were acquitted of.
Despite the considerable legal consequences ahead of them, all three men were overcome with emotion on Wednesday when they found out they were found not guilty of the state charges. Each of the three defendants faced a count of second-degree murder, a count of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct, and a count of official oppression. They were acquitted of all those charges.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that he and his team are "obviously disappointed" by the verdict. He said, "We respect the jury's decision, but we obviously strongly disagree with it. We, in good faith, brought this case, and I am convinced to this day that we had compelling evidence that showed that there was proof for every element of every one of those offenses that we charged. The jury took a different view. That is, of course, their right. That's part of the decision."
Mulroy said that he just doesn't understand how all of the officers were cleared of every single charge. He said, "Was I surprised that there wasn't a singly guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser offenses, given the overwhelming evidence that I think we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for it? No."
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, lawyers for the Nichols' family, called the decision by the jurors a "devastating miscarriage of justice." They said, "Tyre's life was stolen, and his family was denied the justice they so deeply deserve. We are outraged, and we know we are not alone."
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the jury for the trial was an out-of-town group from a majority-white county that took about eight and a half hours over two days to deliberate after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis, which is predominately black. Nichols ran away from a chaotic traffic stop after he was pulled out of his car, pepper sprayed, and shot with a Taser in January 2023.
Five black officers caught him and punched, kicked, and hit him with a police baton. The officers struggled to handcuff Nichols, who died three just after the beating. Body camera footage of the incident shows the struggle the officers had with Nichols. Former officer Martin, who defense attorneys blamed for most of the violence, pleaded guilty in both state and federal court.
In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed that the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against black people. Nichols was kept on the ground, seating against a police car and left to struggle with his injuries sustained from the officers with little or no medical care for 19 minutes before he was taken to a hospital. Nichols died three days later of blunt force trauma to the head. A medical examiner said that Nichols had tears and bleeding in the brain.
According to NBC News, the former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith were all found not guilty of second-degree murder, among several other charges in the death of Nichols. After the decision by the jury was announced, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the three men to be released immediately. However, the former officers are still on the hook for federal convictions connected to the incident.
The three officers and one-time colleagues Desmond Mills Jr. and Emmitt Martin are set to be sentenced in federal court during the week of June 16th. According to the Associated Press (AP), Bean, Haley, and Smith were convicted on the federal level of witness tampering related to the alleged cover-up of the beating. Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges and Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols' civil rights causing death, but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury. Haley was also convicted of a conspiracy to witness tamper charge that the others were acquitted of.
Despite the considerable legal consequences ahead of them, all three men were overcome with emotion on Wednesday when they found out they were found not guilty of the state charges. Each of the three defendants faced a count of second-degree murder, a count of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct, and a count of official oppression. They were acquitted of all those charges.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that he and his team are "obviously disappointed" by the verdict. He said, "We respect the jury's decision, but we obviously strongly disagree with it. We, in good faith, brought this case, and I am convinced to this day that we had compelling evidence that showed that there was proof for every element of every one of those offenses that we charged. The jury took a different view. That is, of course, their right. That's part of the decision."
Mulroy said that he just doesn't understand how all of the officers were cleared of every single charge. He said, "Was I surprised that there wasn't a singly guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser offenses, given the overwhelming evidence that I think we presented? Yes, I was surprised. Do I have an explanation for it? No."
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, lawyers for the Nichols' family, called the decision by the jurors a "devastating miscarriage of justice." They said, "Tyre's life was stolen, and his family was denied the justice they so deeply deserve. We are outraged, and we know we are not alone."
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the jury for the trial was an out-of-town group from a majority-white county that took about eight and a half hours over two days to deliberate after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis, which is predominately black. Nichols ran away from a chaotic traffic stop after he was pulled out of his car, pepper sprayed, and shot with a Taser in January 2023.
Five black officers caught him and punched, kicked, and hit him with a police baton. The officers struggled to handcuff Nichols, who died three just after the beating. Body camera footage of the incident shows the struggle the officers had with Nichols. Former officer Martin, who defense attorneys blamed for most of the violence, pleaded guilty in both state and federal court.
In December, the U.S. Justice Department said a 17-month investigation showed that the Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against black people. Nichols was kept on the ground, seating against a police car and left to struggle with his injuries sustained from the officers with little or no medical care for 19 minutes before he was taken to a hospital. Nichols died three days later of blunt force trauma to the head. A medical examiner said that Nichols had tears and bleeding in the brain.
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