What to know before trial of former officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death
From left to right: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith are on trial. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
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?
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.
Justin Smith, 29, began with MPD in March 2018. He is represented by Southaven attorney Martin Zummach.
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Julia Baker
Julia Baker covers Memphis and Shelby County’s law enforcement agencies and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. A lifelong Memphian, Julia graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers Memphis and Shelby County’s court system and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. He formerly covered education and earned his B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis.
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