MEMPHIS, TN — After two days of deliberation, three former Memphis Police officers who were facing charges in a state criminal trial over the death of Tyre Nichols were acquitted on all charges Wednesday — by an all-white jury.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were facing seven charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the beating death of the 28-year-old Black man who was pulled over Jan. 7, 2023 for a traffic violation. Nichols died three days later at a hospital.
Former officers Desmond Mills and Emmitt Martin had already pleaded guilty in state and federal court.
Bean, Haley and Smith have already been acquitted of many of the federal charges they faced, but federal charges remain.
The jury had been pulled in from nearby Chattanooga because of the case’s impact in the community and publicity.
The state criminal trial for Bean, Haley, and Smith began April 28 and lasted about nine days.
The Shelby County district attorney’s office said it was “disappointed” in the outcome.
An attorney for Nichols’ family said they were “devastated” and “outraged,” local news station WREG reported.
More on the officers being acquitted in the beating death of Tyre Nichols.
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