tyre nichols trial

Tyre Nichols trial: ‘Former MPD officers charged in Nichols’ death found guilty on some charges

By , Daily Memphian Updated: October 07, 2024 6:29 PM CT | Published: September 09, 2024 2:18 PM CT

The jury handed down its verdict for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith on Thursday, Oct. 3, the climax of a nearly four-week federal trial.


October 07, 2024

Two of three former cops convicted in Nichols federal case released pending sentencing

3:00 PM CT, October 7

Two of the three former Memphis police officers convicted in connection to Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death will be released pending a sentencing hearing in January 2025.

A third officer, Demetrius Haley, will stay in federal custody, Magistrate Judge Charmiane G. Claxton ruled Monday, Oct. 7.

Haley, Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were found guilty of some of the federal crimes with which they were charged Thursday, Oct. 3, after a nearly four-week trial. They all faced the same four charges, two related to deprivation of Nichols’ civil rights and two related to witness tampering.


Former MPD officers charged in Nichols’ death found guilty on some charges


Find The Daily Memphian’s full trial coverage here.

Bean and Smith were convicted on one obstruction of justice charge for witness tampering in the coverup of the fatal beating. They were found not guilty on their three other federal charges.

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October 03, 2024

Memphis-area officials react to Tyre Nichols verdict

6:48 PM CT, October 3

Here is reaction to Thursday’s verdict, Oct. 3, in the federal civil rights trial of three former Memphis Police Department officers for the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent the family of Tyre Nichols in their civil suit against the City of Memphis:

“Today, justice has prevailed for Tyre Nichols and his family. The guilty verdicts reached today send a powerful message that law enforcement officers who commit crimes will be held accountable under the law. Tyre’s family is relieved that all three officers were found guilty and taken into custody for their loved one’s death. Tyre should be alive today, and while nothing can bring him back, today’s guilty verdicts bring a measure of accountability for his senseless and tragic death.

“We hope this moment serves as a reminder that our fight for justice for Tyre is far from over. We will continue to push for justice in the state criminal case and the civil case, so that no family has to endure this kind of heartache again. Our thoughts are with Tyre’s family as they continue to navigate this painful journey.”

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Former MPD officers charged in Nichols’ death found guilty on some charges

5:12 PM CT, October 3

Three former Memphis Police Department officers have been found guilty on some of the federal charges they faced for their roles in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols. 

The jury handed down its verdict for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith on Thursday, Oct. 3, the climax of a nearly four-week federal trial.

Each faced the same four charges, two of which related to their use of excessive force against Nichols and their failure to render medical aid after he was beaten. The other two related to their attempted cover up of the beating by lying to supervisors about what happened.


Tyre Nichols trial: ‘Former MPD officers charged in Nichols’ death found guilty on some charges


Bean was found not guilty on three of his four counts but guilty of obstruction of justice for witness tampering.

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Jury deliberations officially underway in Nichols trial

10:56 AM CT, October 3

Jury deliberations have officially begun in the federal trial for three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols.

Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Demetrius Haley each face up to life in federal prison for their alleged roles in Nichols’ death on Jan. 10, 2023.

Prosecutors and defense counsel made their closing arguments Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the longest day of the trial thus far. Court adjourned around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Norris took two hours Wednesday night to give the jury its instructions on how to reach a verdict. Deliberations began at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3.

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October 02, 2024

Jury to begin deliberation Thursday in Tyre Nichols trial

7:53 PM CT, October 2

The jury will begin deliberation Thursday, Oct. 3, in the federal trial against three of the five former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols.

Defense attorneys representing the three defendants made their closing arguments Wednesday afternoon and continued through 7:20 p.m.

John Keith Perry, who represents Tadarrius Bean, argued in his 90-minute closing that his client followed departmental guidelines during Nichols’ attempted arrest. 

The use-of-force continuum that is part of the MPD’s policy indicates officers should issue warnings before resorting to physical force. Perry emphasized his client did that by commanding Nichols to give him his hands. 

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Police ‘beatdown’ killed Tyre Nichols, prosecutor says in trial closing

3:36 PM CT, October 2

Memphis police officers who beat Tyre Nichols to death wanted to punish him after he ran from a 2023 traffic stop and thought they could get away with it, a prosecutor said Wednesday as closing arguments began in the federal trial of three of the officers.

“They wanted it to be a beatdown,” prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert told jurors in the federal trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who are accused of violating Nichols' civil rights and of trying to cover up the beating. “That’s what it was.”

Prosecutors have argued the beating was part of a common police practice referred to in officer slang as the “street tax” or “run tax. ”

Gilbert noted that Emmitt Martin, one of two officers to take a plea deal, testified that Nichols was not a threat when police beat him. She showed the jury a photo of a smiling Nichols wearing a vest, a tie, a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and hands in his pockets.

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September 30, 2024

Former supervisor calls Justin Smith ‘good and honest man’

4:21 PM CT, September 30

Two past supervisors of former Memphis Police Department officer Justin Smith praised him for his conduct while he worked at MPD.

During the ongoing federal trial against Smith and two co-defendants in Tyre Nichols’ death, Smith’s attorney, Martin Zummach, called two lieutenants to the stand Monday, Sept. 30. Both of them supervised Smith during his time with MPD’s organized crime unit.

“He’s a high-level, highly professional officer and a good and honest man. … If it was one of my kids that had done something to be arrested, I’d want Justin arresting them,” said now-retired officer Mark Wojcicki.

Wojcicki said Smith had a reputation for his passion for the job, his professionalism and making sure his conduct was “legal and ethical.”

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Two defense attorneys rest case in Nichols trial

12:02 PM CT, September 30

Defense attorneys for two of the three former Memphis police officers on trial for federal charges related to the death of Tyre Nichols have rested their case.

John Keith Perry, who represents Tadarrius Bean, and Michael Stengel, who represents Demetrius Haley, rested their cases Monday morning, Sept. 30.

Justin Smith, represented by Martin Zummach, is now the sole defendant still calling witnesses in his defense.


Third defendant in Tyre Nichols trial files motion for acquittal


After Perry and Stengel rested, Zummach called Jared Zwickey, a veteran California police officer and use-of-force expert, to the stand.

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September 27, 2024

Tyre Nichols trial: Friend testifies former Memphis cop is ‘kind-hearted’

6:14 PM CT, September 27

A friend and former fellow officer testified on Tadarrius Bean’s character Friday, calling him a “true servant leader” who is “always putting the benefit of others before himself” and is “kind-hearted.”

Bryant McKinney met Bean in the police academy four years ago, but he now works as a security supervisor for DHL.

“He’s always shown a character of humility, and that’s always stuck with me,” McKinney said. “Because no matter how good he did at something, he always was humble about the situation.”

He also testified that Bean went “by the book,” giving an example of Bean refusing to use his take-home squad car for personal errands, because it was against policy. 

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Former MPD officer acted within policy in detaining Nichols, expert says

2:59 PM CT, September 27

Attorney John Keith Perry, counsel for Tadarrius Bean, called a use-of-force witness to the stand Friday, Sept. 27, in the trial against three former police officers accused in Tyre Nichols’ death.

John Tisdale, a retired police chief from the Gallatin Police Department and Parker Arizona Police Department, testified that Bean went through the appropriate use-of-force continuum the night of Nichols’ fatal beating. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated Tisdale in 2010 for misusing a criminal database to conduct a background check for a civil case in which he testified as an expert witness.

A use-of-force continuum is a sliding scale that guides officers in the appropriate use of force. It begins with police presence and commands and ends in deadly force. 


Third defendant in Tyre Nichols trial files motion for acquittal


According to testimony from Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Anthony Householder Thursday, Bean told Householder that former MPD officer Desmond Mills hit him with pepper spray sometime during the traffic stop. 

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September 26, 2024

Third defendant in Tyre Nichols trial files motion for acquittal

6:18 PM CT, September 26

Federal judge Mark S. Norris is now taking under advisement motions for acquittal from the three defendants on trial for the death of Tyre Nichols.

Demetrius Haley moved for acquittal Thursday, joining Justin Smith and Tadarrius Bean who filed their motions for acquittal earlier in the afternoon.

Filing for acquittal is standard practice after the prosecution rests its case. 

One of Haley’s attorneys, Michael Stengel, argued that Haley arrived at the scene last and didn’t know Nichols had already been punched or kicked. 

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Prosecution rests in federal Tyre Nichols trial

2:48 PM CT, September 26

The prosecution in the federal trial against three officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols rested its case after hearing testimony from its 19th and final witness, a former emergency room nurse at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis. 

Taylor Chesser, who is now a floating nurse who works at various local hospitals, testified Thursday that the two officers who went with Nichols to the hospital told her they weren’t at the scene of the beating when she asked what happened.


FBI agent reveals details from federal investigation into Nichols’ death


At least one of the officers also had a “nervous demeanor,” she testified, adding that she relied on officers for information on the “mechanism of the injury” to determine care for Nichols.

Prior testimony from Desmond Mills and Lt. Dewayne Smith has indicated Mills and Tadarrius Bean, one of the officers on trial, were at the hospital. Chesser could not identify the officers. 

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FBI agent reveals details from federal investigation into Nichols’ death

2:16 PM CT, September 26

Testimony on Thursday, Sept. 26, from a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent revealed text messages sent by Demetrius Haley, one of the former Memphis Police Department officers on federal trial for charges related to Tyre Nichols’ death. 

About an hour after Nichols’ beating, Haley sent messages to Tadarrius Bean, one of the other officers on trial, asking if he had viewed his body-worn camera footage yet. Bean told Haley that his body-worn camera fell off after one minute and lay flat on the ground, to which Haley responded, “OK, bet. And I wasn’t over there when you got dude.” 

Quinton Fox, another MPD officer, texted Haley asking, “Who beat dude up last night?” to which Haley said, “Us.” 

Anthony Householder, the FBI agent who was formerly stationed in Memphis, also revealed statements provided by Bean and Justin Smith, the third man on trial.

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September 25, 2024

Desmond Mills testifies he lied about Tyre Nichols beating

7:12 PM CT, September 25

Day 2 of testimony from Desmond Mills Jr. wrapped up with him testifying he learned of SkyCop footage while filing reports on the traffic stop when his supervisor, Lt. Dewayne Smith, told him about it.

Mills, who has pleaded guilty to Tyre Nichols’ death, asked Smith “how it looked.”

“‘The radio sounds better than how the camera looks,’” Mills recalled Lt. Smith saying.


Desmond Mills confesses to going along with ‘cover-up’


Mills’ statements came during cross-examination from Michael Stengel, who represents Demetrius Haley. 

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Desmond Mills confesses to going along with ‘cover-up’

2:39 PM CT, September 25

Desmond Mills Jr. hid facts about his and other officers’ beating of Tyre Nichols during a Jan. 11, 2023, interview with the Memphis Police Department’s Inspectional Services Bureau because he “had a lot at stake,” he said.

The former Memphis Police Department officer, who has pleaded guilty in Nichols’ death, continued his testimony during the trial of three of his former coworkers.

“I needed this job for my family, my wife and my kids,” Mills said on the witness stand, adding he needed the insurance and his kids had special needs. “I was thinking of them first. I let them down.”


Desmond Mills weeps on witness stand: ‘Sorry can’t bring him back’


He said he was afraid of telling the truth because, “I’d be sitting in the exact seat I’m sitting in now.” 

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September 24, 2024

Desmond Mills weeps on witness stand: ‘Sorry can’t bring him back’

3:10 PM CT, September 24

Desmond Mills Jr. sobbed on the witness stand Tuesday as he recounted Tyre Nichols’ beating. U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris, who’s presiding over the federal trial against three former police officers charged in Nichols’ death, began to approach Mills as a guard handed him a box of tissues. 

“I wish I could have stopped the punches,” Mills said. “It hurt to watch. … It hurt inside so much. I felt bad every time his picture’s on the screen and to know I’m a part of that.

“I made his child fatherless. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Sorry can’t bring him back, but I pray his child has everything he needs growing up.”


Desmond Mills begins testimony: ‘I just started spraying’


Mills drank a sip from a bottle of water before continuing his testimony. 

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Desmond Mills begins testimony: ‘I just started spraying’

1:48 PM CT, September 24

Desmond Mills Jr., one of the cops who previously pleaded guilty in the death of Tyre Nichols, began his testimony Tuesday, Sept. 24, in the federal trial against the three former police officers.

Mills, who joined the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION “Team Unit 1” during the COVID-19 pandemic, said by the time Tadarrius Bean, one of the former officers on trial, joined the team in 2022, he was ready to leave the department.

“I didn’t like the hostility on the team,” Mills said.


Two additional witnesses testify Demetrius Haley sent them photos of Tyre Nichols


He testified he did not like SCORPION’s structure and officers were inexperienced. It felt “off,” he said.

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September 23, 2024

Two additional witnesses testify Demetrius Haley sent them photos of Tyre Nichols

6:38 PM CT, September 23

The officer who took the report from Nichols’ traffic stop said Demetrius Haley mistakenly sent her a photo of Nichols after the beating. Haley also sent the same photo of Nichols to a family friend, according to testimony on Monday.

Valandria McKinnie, an MPD officer who formerly was on SCORPION Unit Team 1, testified Monday Haley sent her a photo of Nichols after his beating after she asked for a photo of him. But she meant photo ID, she testified. 

When she corrected him and told him he sent the wrong photo, he sent her the ID, and she deleted the photo of Nichols. As she testified Monday, Nichols’ stepfather held his arm tightly around the victim’s mother, RowVaughn Wells. 


Former SCORPION officer, ER doctor, fire dispatcher continue testimony


“It wasn’t something I needed,” McKinnie said of her deleting the photo.

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September 20, 2024

Former cops told supervisor they did ‘everything by the book’

6:36 PM CT, September 20

The Memphis Police Department supervisor who responded to the scene of Tyre Nichols’ beating testified Friday he was not aware of the physical violence involved following Nichols’ traffic stop. 

During his testimony Friday, the end of the trial’s second week, former Lt. Dewayne Smith told prosecutor Kathryn E. Gilbert that one of the former officers, Desmond Mills, told him they “did everything by the book.” 

Lt. Smith said he was told Nichols had been hit with a Taser and pepper-sprayed, that Nichols swung at officers and tried to take one of the officers’ guns. 


Former SCORPION officer, ER doctor, fire dispatcher continue testimony


Gilbert presented body-worn camera and SkyCop camera footage that showed, right before Lt. Smith arrived on the scene, officers bragging about giving Nichols “pieces,” or punches, and that Nichols was “eating them,” meaning he was taking hits.

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September 19, 2024

Former SCORPION officer grilled on past arrests, lies to FBI

7:15 PM CT, September 19

After prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert passed Kyle Coudriet, a former SCORPION Unit officer, to the defense, he faced intense questioning over the arrest of Jesus Valles and another in which Demetrius Haley also struck the arrestee in the face as they were handcuffed.

Coudriet was also scrutinized about lies he admitted to telling FBI agents in interviews during investigation of the Tyre Nichols case.

During the arrest of Marcus Bills, Haley, like with Valles, struck him in the face as he was handcuffed. Bills had escaped handcuffs during an initial arrest attempt, was chased, tackled and rearrested. Haley struck him as officers were attempting to put him into a squad car after he was handcuffed.


Former SCORPION officer, ER doctor, fire dispatcher continue testimony


On response to resistance forms for both the Valles and Bills arrests, Haley wrote that the men were about to spit on him and he punched them to “redirect them.”

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Former SCORPION officer, ER doctor, fire dispatcher continue testimony

1:17 PM CT, September 19

A former SCORPION Unit officer testified Thursday he had seen Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin III use excessive force against an arrestee prior to Tyre Nichols’ beating.

Kyle Coudriet left the Memphis Police Department a month before Nichols’ beating Jan. 7, 2023, and now works for the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Coudriet described a previous arrest he was involved in with Haley and Martin. A man who had posted a photo of himself on social media pointing a gun at an officer was later apprehended. He had barricaded himself inside an apartment and Coudriet, Haley and Martin, along with others, entered the apartment to arrest the man who Coudriet identified as as Jesus Valles.


Paramedic had ‘eerie feeling’ on Tyre Nichols scene


Coudriet said he witnessed Haley and Martin strike the man with “closed fist strikes” to his head and upper chest, violating MPD policy.

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September 18, 2024

Paramedic had ‘eerie feeling’ on Tyre Nichols scene

6:18 PM CT, September 18

A paramedic who responded to the scene after Tyre Nichols was beaten testified Wednesday that when he got to the scene and Nichols did not respond to initial life-saving measures, like a sternum rub and Narcan administration, he knew “something is really going on.” He said he had an “eerie feeling” about what had happened.

“I didn’t know what it was,” said Jesse Guy, a paramedic with the Memphis Fire Department. “A couple of the officers were huddled up talking amongst each other, and it made me question things. I just wanted to go on and get him off the scene.”

He also said his main goal was “trying to save his life.”

“It was to the point where I couldn’t solve the case, I was going to save his life,” Guy said. 

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Ex-girlfriend testifies she received photo of Nichols night of beating

4:07 PM CT, September 18

Demetrius Haley’s ex-girlfriend testified Wednesday he sent her a photo of Tyre Nichols after the Jan. 7, 2023, beatings.

“I said, ‘Oh my god, he needs to go to The Med,’” Brittany Leake, a police officer with the Memphis Police Department, said she texted back on the group message.

Prosecutors entered two pieces of evidence: the photo of Nichols and a text-message exchange.


Emmitt Martin details two ‘misses’ before Tyre Nichols beating


Leake said she deleted the photo “because I didn’t want to see it in the group chat.”

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Emmitt Martin details two ‘misses’ before Tyre Nichols beating

3:51 PM CT, September 18

During testimony Wednesday, Emmitt Martin III said two “misses” earlier in the day, including an unsuccessful arrest based on a tip about a group of people possessing gun switches, added to his anger the night of Tyre Nichols’ beating on Jan. 7, 2023.

Although the group turned out not to possess switches, Martin said his daughter lived in the same apartment complex, and he was angry about the possibility of gun switches being near her. 

Additionally, Martin attempted an aggravated assault warrant arrest but the suspect wasn’t there.


Emmitt Martin III testifies he was warned about level of aggression


After pleading guilty to his federal charges, Martin testified that he told the FBI he was under pressure to stay on the SCORPION Unit’s 1 team, which he said was the unit’s top-tier team.

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September 17, 2024

Emmitt Martin III testifies he was warned about level of aggression

5:46 PM CT, September 17

Emmitt Martin III and other SCORPION Unit officers had previously been warned about their “level of aggression” before Tyre Nichols’ death. 

After lunch Tuesday, prosecutor Kathryn E. Gilbert presented body-worn camera footage from a previous arrest in which another officer and Demetrius Haley brought the arrestee out of the apartment and Haley punched him while handcuffed. 

Martin testified that a lieutenant reviewed the footage with him to tell him to “turn your level of aggression off when it’s time to.”

“Because if you don’t, you’re going to cross a boundary which can lead to excessive use of force,” Martin said. 

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Trial testimony continues: Martin continues testimony

1:49 PM CT, September 17

Emmitt Martin III, one of the former Memphis Police Department officers who pleaded guilty to charges in Tyre Nichols’ death, continued his testimony Tuesday after testifying the day before he was “seeing red” the day the 29-year-old was beaten. 

During his Tuesday testimony in the trial against his three former colleagues, Martin said he kicked Nichols four times and punched him five times in the face. He admitted his and other officers’ behavior was “not consistent” with MPD policy because Nichols was “helpless” and “not a threat.” He gave his testimony as prosecutor Kathryn E. Gilbert played video footage from body-worn cameras and a SkyCop camera.

Martin also said he and other officers intentionally hid facts about what happened.


Judge in MPD officers’ trial rules on evidence, trainer takes stand again


“I did not want to show what we were doing,” Martin said of him removing his body-worn camera. Martin also instructed fellow officer Desmond Mills Jr., who has also pleaded guilty, to turn off his body-worn camera, something he said was common practice since he joined the team. 

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September 16, 2024

Emmitt Martin III takes stand in federal trial over Tyre Nichols’ death

6:21 PM CT, September 16

Emmitt Martin III took the stand at the tail end of the first day of week two in the federal trial for the former MPD officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols. 

Martin, under questioning from prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert, offered a strong rebuke of his own actions and that of his codefendants the night of Nichols’ beating.

Martin is one of the five former Memphis police department officers charged in Nichols’ death. He accepted a plea deal shortly before trial began. Prosecutors are recommending 40 years in prison.


Judge in MPD officers’ trial rules on evidence, trainer takes stand again


Martin testified that his actions and the actions of the others were not in line with MPD policy.

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Defense continues questioning of MPD trainer

11:58 AM CT, September 16

As the federal trial resumed Monday, Tadarrius Bean’s defense team continued questioning Larnce Wright, the Memphis Police officer who trained the five former cops charged in Tyre Nichols’ death.

After more than three hours of questioning Friday, U.S. District Judge Mark Norris warned that he would consider time constraints if attorney Kevin Whitmore continued much longer.


Judge in MPD officers’ trial rules on evidence, trainer takes stand again


Whitmore defended his lengthy discussion with Wright, saying that it would be the only time Bean has to hear from him.

“Once we sit down, it’s over,” Wright said.

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September 13, 2024

Judge in MPD officers’ trial rules on evidence, trainer takes stand again

6:57 PM CT, September 13

After the court returned from lunch around 1 p.m., Judge Mark Norris ruled the response-to-resistance reports could be admitted as evidence.

Norris said the defendants had waived their right to raise the issue now and it ultimately would have been better dealt with before trial.

After Norris ruled, the jury was brought in for the first time in the day, and examination continued for Larnce Wright, the Memphis police officer who trained those charged in Tyre Nichols’ death.


Former MPD officer takes the stand in his own trial


More videos of Nichols’ beating were played by the prosecution and Wright was questioned how the response to resistance forms filed by the officers matched with their actions that night.

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Former MPD officer takes the stand in his own trial

11:14 AM CT, September 13

Former Memphis Police officer Demetrius Haley took the stand Friday morning in the federal trial against him and his two co-defendants.

Haley’s testimony came amid a tense argument over whether prosecutors should be able to admit as evidence forms that the former officers filled out after Tyre Nichols’ beating. 


Tyre Nichols trial: ‘Former MPD officers charged in Nichols’ death found guilty on some charges


Defense counsel for Haley, as well as for Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith, argued that the response-to-resistance forms are protected by Garrity Rights, meaning they could not be used against their clients in the criminal prosecution. 

Garrity Rights usually refer to statements officers or other public employees are compelled to make under threat of discipline or termination. Garrity statements are not allowed to be used in criminal prosecution against those who make them. 

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September 12, 2024

MPD trainer talks use-of-force policy at Nichols trial

12:08 PM CT, September 12

A Memphis Police lieutenant who trained the five former officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death was the first to take the stand Thursday as the federal trial against three of them continued.

Larnce Wright spoke about the training the officers received while they were recruits at the academy, including what kind of force to use against detainees and when.


Trial’s first witness is ICU nurse who admitted Tyre Nichols


He also said he gave recruits a warning:

“I taught them if they don’t follow the policies, they could go to federal prison,” he said.

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September 11, 2024

Trial’s first witness is ICU nurse who admitted Tyre Nichols

4:28 PM CT, September 11

A nurse practitioner who treated Tyre Nichols at St. Francis Hospital described the moment the victim’s mother arrived at the hospital and saw her son for the first time.

“She took a few steps and screamed and collapsed,” said Rachael Love, a nurse practitioner who works in the hospital’s intensive-care unit.

Love was the first witness to testify after opening statements in the federal trial for the three defendants charged in connection to Nichols’ death.


Officers pummeled Tyre Nichols because he fled, a form of ‘run tax,’ prosecutor says


Love recalled admitting Nichols, saying he looked like “he had been in a bar fight” initially and had a “large goose egg” on his forehead. Other injuries included a broken tooth and lacerations.

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Officers pummeled Tyre Nichols because he fled, a form of ‘run tax,’ prosecutor says

3:14 PM CT, September 11

Three former Memphis police officers charged in the January 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols stood by his body and laughed after they punched, kicked and struck him with a baton in an attack that a prosecutor says was punishment because he tried to run away.

The former officers are standing trial accused of federal civil rights violations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers said during opening statements Wednesday, Sept. 11, that the officers were punishing Nichols for fleeing a traffic stop and she used the term “run tax” — police slang for disciplining a subject who tries to escape. She said the force they used did not match Nichols’ actions, and she warned jurors they would see videos of the beating. Footage of the attack was publicly released just weeks after his death.


Opening statements in trial of former Memphis officers to begin Wednesday


Rogers also said officers were just standing around in the “crucial” minutes when Nichols’ heart stopped, when they could have helped him.

“You won’t see Tyre Nichols pose a threat to these officers at any time,” Rogers said.

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September 10, 2024

Opening statements in trial of former Memphis officers to begin Wednesday

5:50 PM CT, September 10

Opening statements are expected to begin Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the trial for the three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols.

The prosecution and the defense approved of the jury after a two-day jury selection process Tuesday, Sept. 10. 

The jury is made up of four Black women, two Black men, two Asian men, four white women and four white men.


Jury selection continues Tuesday with discussions of bias


The jury took their oath around 5 p.m. after U.S. District Judge Mark Norris asked one last time if they would make an impartial decision as a jury. 

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Jury selection continues Tuesday with discussions of bias

1:33 PM CT, September 10

Jury selection continued Tuesday morning as U.S. District Judge Mark Norris questioned potential jurors for about three hours.

Much of that time was spent in inaudible sidebar conversations between Norris and the defense attorneys, prosecutors and potential jurors.

Eleven people were dismissed from the jury pool Tuesday: four Black men, four white men, two white women and one Black woman. They joined the seven who were dismissed Monday, the trial’s first day.


Seven dismissed from jury pool after first day of trial in Tyre Nichols case


Norris used the same two primary questions for potential jurors Tuesday as he did Monday, asking their opinions of a jurors’ characteristics and for an example of bias or prejudice.

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September 09, 2024

Seven dismissed from jury pool after first day of trial in Tyre Nichols case

6:54 PM CT, September 9

Seven potential jurors were ultimately dismissed from the jury pool Monday afternoon, Sept. 9, after a long afternoon of questioning by U.S. District Judge Mark Norris. 

Tyre Nichols’ family was not present for the latter half of the proceedings Monday. 

Jurors were dismissed for a number of reasons, including previous knowledge about the case and knowing one of the former Memphis Police Department officers charged. 


Jury selection begins in federal trial of former cops accused in Nichols’ death


Norris also unveiled a list of 42 potential witnesses who could testify during the trial. A slew of former MPD officers, including those who responded to the scene the night Nichols was beaten and the two former officers who have already pleaded guilty in the case, are on the list.

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Jury selection begins in federal trial of former cops accused in Nichols’ death

2:17 PM CT, September 9

Jury selection got underway Monday, Sept. 9, in the federal trial of the three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols. 

In his opening remarks, U.S. District Judge Mark Norris, who is presiding over the case, highlighted the weightiness of the proceedings to come. 

He quoted Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, saying jury trials are a foundation of the American government and “the heart and lungs of liberty.”


Who’s who in trial of former MPD officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death


The left side of the courtroom was filled with jurors, and Nichols’ family sat on the right side. 

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September 08, 2024

Who’s who in trial of former MPD officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death

4:00 AM CT, September 8

Related story: What to know before trial of former officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death

Here’s who’s who in the federal trial for the former Memphis Police Department officers accused in the January 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols. The trial starts Monday, Sept. 9.

Tadarrius Bean

<strong>Tadarrius Bean</strong>

Tadarrius Bean

Bean, 25, is one of three remaining officers set to go to trial for his alleged roles in Tyre Nichols’ death. Along with the other officers, he is accused of beating Nichols, failing to render medical aid and engaging in a cover-up of the beating. Bean was one of two officers who rode with Nichols in an ambulance to the hospital, and he is accused of giving misleading information to medical personnel. Bean had worked for MPD since 2020 prior to being fired Jan. 20, 2023.

Demetrius Haley

<strong>Demetrius Haley</strong>

Demetrius Haley

Haley, 31, is the second of three remaining officers who are set to go to trial. Along with beating Nichols and failing to render medical aid to him, Haley is also accused of kicking Nichols in the head and only activating his body-worn camera after the beating. Haley also had worked for the department since 2020 before he was fired along with his other codefendants in January 2023.

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What to know before trial of former officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death

4:00 AM CT, September 8

The federal trial for the former Memphis Police Department officers accused in the January 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols starts Monday, Sept. 9. Here’s a primer.

Who are the three former officers on trial?

Related story: Who’s who in trial of former MPD officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death

Tadarrius Bean, 25 at the start of trial, started with MPD in August 2020. He is represented by Southaven attorney John Keith Perry. 

Demetrius Haley, 31, also started with the department in August 2020. He is represented by Memphis attorney Mike Stengel.

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Topics

Tyre Nichols Memphis Police Department Tadarrius Bean Demetrius Haley Justin Smith

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