Trial overview: State case against officers acquitted in Tyre Nichols death
Judge James Jones Jr., (right) presides over the trial of former Memphis Police officers Justin Smith, Tadarrius Bean and Demetrius Haley in his Shelby County courtroom on Monday, April 28, 2025. The officers stood trial for second-degree murder in the beating death of Tyre Nichols after a 2023 traffic stop in Memphis. They were found not guilty on all accounts. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Three former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols were found not guilty on all seven of the state criminal charges they were facing.
The out-of-town jury delivered its verdict Wednesday, May 7.
Here are some observations from the state courtroom, the federal trial in September 2024 and the case overall.
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Aarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers public safety for The Daily Memphian, focusing on crime and the local court system. He earned his bachelor’s in journalism and strategic media from the University of Memphis.
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Former officers found not guilty on all counts
Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, who represent Nichols’ family in its lawsuit against the City of Memphis, called the jury’s decision a “devastating miscarriage of justice” in a statement released to media.
Memphis mayor, police chief encourage city to ‘heal together’
Following a not guilty verdict in the trial of three former police officers for the death of Tyre Nichols, Chief C.J. Davis said her departments is “committed to rebuilding trust and working together toward a stronger, safer Memphis for all.”
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