A Tennessee jury cleared three former Memphis police officers Wednesday of all state charges stemming from the fatal beating of a Black motorist that sparked protests across the country two years ago.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were found not guilty of second-degree murder, among other charges, in the death of Tyre Nichols.
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. ordered the men released immediately. All three were overcome with emotion as they hugged one another and their lawyers in the Memphis courtroom.
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.
They had already been facing time behind bars after they were convicted on some federal charges stemming from Nichols’ death.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told reporters outside the courtroom that he and his team are “obviously disappointed” by the verdict.
“We respect the jury’s decision, but we obviously strongly disagree with it,” Mulroy said. “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 the offenses that we charged. The jury took a different view. That is, of course, their right. That’s the part of the decision.”
The prosecutor said he struggled to grasp how all the officers were cleared of every charge.
“Was I surprised that there wasn’t a single guilty verdict on any of the counts or any of the lesser included offenses, given the overwhelming evidence that I think that we presented? Yes, I was surprised,” Mulroy said later in response to a question from a reporter. “Do I have an explanation for it? No.”
Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, lawyers for Nichols’ family, called the decision a “devastating miscarriage of justice” in a statement.
“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,” they said.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson also decried the verdicts.
“Tyre and his family deserve true justice — not only in the courtroom, but in Congress, by passing police reform legislation once and for all,” Johnson said in a statement. “Traffic stops should never be a death sentence, and a badge should never— ever — be a shield to accountability.“
Nichols, a FedEx employee and aspiring photographer, was pulled over on suspicion of reckless driving at about 8:24 p.m. CT Jan. 7, 2023.
“Get the f— out the f—-ing car!” an officer screamed as he pulled Nichols out of his car.
“I didn’t do anything,” Nichols responded.
While Nichols was on the pavement, officers could be seen using pepper spray and a Taser on him before he ran away.
He ran toward his mother’s home, but pursuing officers caught up with him about 80 yards short of the house, officials said.
Body camera video showed Nichols being beaten and kicked as he absorbed more pepper spray.
Nichols screamed “Mom!” as he was beaten during the second confrontation with police.
A police training officer and use-of-force expert testified for prosecutors and called the actions officers took against Nichols “unnecessary” and “excessive.”
The beating reflected a common law enforcement practice known as the “street tax” or “run tax” for abusing a suspect who flees, prosecutors have said.
Nichols’ death, three days after the beating, sparked protests against police brutality around the country.
His parents were guests of the White House for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address just weeks later.
